July 2013 Current Affair

JULY 2013 CURRENT AFFAIR
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India-UK decide to develop Economic Corridor together July 2nd, 2013 India and United Kingdom have decided to collaborate to develop the Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC) project in close association with private companies from Britain. Both sides have agreed to examine and evolve the modalities and content of this project through mutual discussions and work out a roadmap for a possible partnership in this area. In addition to this, India has also offered to UK, investment or partnership opportunities in the National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NIMZs). . NIMZs are proposed to be developed as green field industrial townships and benchmarked against the best manufacturing hubs in the world. The new National Manufacturing Policy aims to create 100 million jobs and increase the share of manufacturing in Indias Gross Domestic Product from 16% now to 25% by 2022. Multidrug-resistant TB stock declines to alarming level July 2nd, 2013 Even as the government is trying to tackle the stock-out situation for antituberculosis paediatric drugs, a new problem has surfaced. Stocks of second-line medicines like Kanamycin, an injectible drug used for treating multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB have dipped alarmingly. Currently, there is stock only for two and a half months. India is among the few countries with a high burden of MDR TB. The Prime Ministers Office has asked the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for clarification on the availability of drugs. The Central TB Division (CTD) called an emergency meeting to find the way forward to extenuate the crisis. Manufacturers of paediatric drugs, prolongation pouches and streptomycin have been identified and the ministry is hopeful of getting supplies to states by the end of July. States with a lower disease burden have been asked to transfer drugs to those with a higher burden facing extreme
shortage of drugs. Why this lapse? The shortage of drugs was due to procurement failures and delays at the level of the government of India. It also confirmed stock-out of paediatric doses, Rifampicin (the key drug to treat TB), streptomycin injection as well as diminishing stockpiles of Kanamycin injections and other first line drugs. The emergency procurement of paediatric drugs was delayed by six months and the orders had just been placed. As for Kanamycin, emergency procurement of over 400,000 vials, done with the support of the Genevabased Global Drug Facility (GDF) through WHOs intervention had not reached the country because of delays in processing orders, payments and the ministry not issuing the necessary customs duty clearance on time. Surge in the cases of Leptospirosis July 2nd, 2013 A rise in the number of cases of leptospirosis has been reported in Thiruananthapuram even as the district is focusing its efforts on curbing the dengue fever. Dengue has eclipsed the fact that the incidence of leptospirosis has been on the rise in all districts of the state after the rain began. What is Leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria Leptospira that affects both humans and animals. Humans become infected through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with a urinecontaminated environment. The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes. Person-to-person transmission is rare. The disease has also been known to trigger abortions in cattle. How does the transmission take place? Leptospirosis is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal and is contagious as long as it is still moist. Although rats, mice, and moles are important primary hosts, a wide range of other mammals including dogs,
deer, rabbits, hedgehogs, cows, sheep, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and certain marine mammals are able to carry and transmit the disease as secondary hosts. What are the symptoms? In the early stages of the disease, symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, redness of the eyes, abdominal pain, jaundice, haemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Who are most vulnerable? Although the disease can occur to anyone who comes in contact with the urine of infected with Leptospira, its prevalence is seen in cleaning workers, manual labourers and farm workers are most vulnerable. The number of infection increases in rainy season as people wade through waters contaminated with garbage and animal excreta which contain the bacteria. How is it controlled? To counter leptospirosis vulnerable sections are put on Doxycycline prophylactic treatment. Care is taken to distinguish the disease from other diseases like Malaria and Dengue as these too show similar symptoms and spread in the same season. EU agrees talk to Serbia for open membership July 2nd, 2013 The leaders of the European Union have agreed to open membership negotiations with Serbia by January at the latest, in acknowledgment of its efforts to improve ties with seceded Kosovo. The step indicates EU inclination toward embracing once-troubled countries in the Balkans. Presidents and Prime Ministers from the 27 EU nations also welcomed Croatias upcoming accession as the blocs 28th member. In the two-day summit held in Brussels the EU agreed on seven-year, 960billion budget. The EU leaders also announced negotiations for closer relations with Kosovo, a possible step on the way to membership talks. Serbia and Kosovo: Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008. Serbia has never recognized the
sovereignty of Kosovo, which is considered by Serbias nationalists to be the cradle of the countrys medieval statehood and religion. However, Kosovo has been recognised by over 90 countries including the U.S. and 22 of the EUs 27 members. In April 2013 a vital agreement was reached b/w Serbia and Kosovo when they decided to normalize relations and end years of acrimony. Croatia enters European Union July 2nd, 2013 Croatia was added into the European Union (EU) on July 1, 2013 making the total number of member states in the EU to 28. Croatia is the second country from the once war-torn former Yugoslavia to enter the bloc. It negotiated with the EU for more than 6 years after the bloc agreed to embrace it. Croatia which is struggling with its economic woes has joined the EU amid concerns whether the country is fully prepared to face the fierce competition of the open market. The economy has been battered by the ongoing financial crisis and owing to structural weaknesses that yet need to be addressed by reforms. From this event Croatia is hopeful that it will help to lift many people out of poverty and modernzse the economy. Croatia will also receive funds from the EU to build roads, clean up the environment and increase research and development. However, there are concerns that tough EU competition will shut down or buy out parts of the national economy. There is concern about whether EU membership will lure immigrants seeking work, which could put the reeling labour market under even more pressure. Railway launches SMS facility for ticket booking July 2nd, 2013 Indian Railway has launched a new pilot service which makes it possible for the 80% of the population that owns mobile phones. The service doesnt even involves any use of Internet by the customer. IRCTC has INTRODUCED a number of options to buy tickets without having to access the Internet. Besides
the short code 5676714, one can even send an SMS to 139 or the Airtel Money system *400# or the system powered by Pyro where one needs to have a BSNL SIM card enabled with Java computer language. It will not be necessary to carry a hard copy of the ticket while travelling the SMS confirmation will be valid proof. The facility allows for ticket cancellation as well. To make use of any of these options, you have to get your mobile number registered with IRCTC. Each SMS will cost Rs. 3 and as the project is being launched on a pilot basis, mobile service providers have dispensed with agent charges for now. These charges as and when imposed would be the same one pays to other agents, including online charges. The new technology will also ease the pressure on Internet ticketing as 45% of tickets are booked through Internet. It would also put an end to fleecing by touts. Government to set up 51 low-cost airports July 2nd, 2013 The Union government has decided to construct 51 new low-cost airports to provide fillip to civil aviation sector and enhance air connectivity to Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Apart from the low-cost airports, the government has decided grant new international airport status to Bhubaneswar and Imphal at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore. The 51 cities which have been chosen for the project are: Andhra Pradesh: Vijayawada, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Nizamabad, Tirupati, Anantapur and Karimnagar 1. Jharkhand: Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribagh 2. Bihar: Muzaffarpur, Chapra and Sasaram 3. Punjab: Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Firozpur 4. Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Allahabad, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar and Azamgarh 5. Arunachal Pradesh: Tezu, Bomdila and Along 6. Assam: Silchar, Jorhat and Tezpur 7. Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior, Singrauli, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Jabalpur, Sidhi and Shahdol
8. Rajasthan: Ajmer, Kota, Bhilwada and Alwar 9. Maharashtra: Kolhapur, Nasik, Jalgaon, Solapur and Amarawati 10. Odisha: Brahmpur, Rourkela and Kendujhar Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS): NASA launches satellite to study Suns atmosphere July 2nd, 2013 The U.S. space agency NASA launched a satellite to uncover the secrets of the Suns lower atmosphere. NASAs Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket off the California coast. About IRIS mission: Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a $182 million mission which will continue for two years. It aims to observe the movement of solar material. It will try to know how it gathers energy and heats up as it makes its way through a mysterious region in the suns lower atmosphere. IRIS will help in knowing not only the causes the ejection of solar material, including solar wind, but also solar eruptions that can disrupt human technology. What is this mysterious region? This is a region b/w the suns photosphere and corona where most of the suns ultraviolet emission is generated, which impact the near-Earth space environment and Earths climate. British Government gives go ahead to three-parent baby July 2nd, 2013 The UK government has given approval to the controversial IVF technique that would lead to the creation of babies with three parents. If the proposal is passed by its parliament then Britain would become first country to allow this technique. The decision has invited criticism from different calling it unethical, unnecessary and unsafe. What is a Three-Parent Baby? It is a baby born with the genetic contribution (DNA) from three people. It is done through IVF technique
which involves taking the nucleus of one egg (first female) and inserting it into the cytoplasm of another egg (second female) which has had its nucleus removed, but still contains mitochondrial DNA, and then fertilizing the hybrid egg with a sperm (third person). The purpose of the procedure is to remove a nucleus from a cell with defective mitochondria and place it in a donor cell with healthy mitochondria, which after fertilisation will contain a nucleus with genetic material from only the two parents. How would this technique help? As per experts, this method will give a choice to women with mitochondria disorders to bear children free from such diseases. These are caused by mutated mitochondria tiny structures that supply power to human cells and are passed from a mother, through the egg, to her child. It is said to affect one in every 6,500 babies. The technique will help combat genetic problems that can cause rare and debilitating conditions affecting the heart, muscles and brain. Supreme Court: If a cheque from joint a/c bounces, liability is on person signing cheque July 3rd, 2013 The Supreme Court has held that in case of issuance of cheque from joint accounts, only the person who signs the cheque can be prosecuted in a cheque bouncing case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The other joint account members cannot be held culpable unless the cheque has been signed by them also. As per the apex court, the proceedings filed under Section 138 cannot be used as an arm twisting tactics to recover the amount allegedly due from the appellant. The court clarified that the culpability attached to dishonour of a cheque can, in no case except in case of Section 141 of the N.I. Act (offences by companies), be extended to those on whose behalf the cheque is issued. This Court reiterates that it is only the drawer of the cheque who can be made an accused in any proceeding under Section 138 of the Act. Distinguishing Individual and Company:
The court distinguished b/w individuals and companies and held that Section 141 of the N.I. Act is an instance of specific provision that in case an offence under Section 138 is committed by a company, the criminal liability for dishonor of a cheque will extend to the officers of the company. In case of the company, the officers of the company, who are accountable for the acts done in the name of the company, can be made accused for the acts which result in criminal action being taken against the company. Fact Box: IRNSS-1A July 3rd, 2013 ISRO successfully launches IRNSS-1A: Indias first navigation satellite Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched IRNSS-1A on PSLV C 22 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It was for the first time ISRO has launched an India satellite at almost midnight taking into account the orbit and inclination at which the satellite will be injected into the space and the season of launch. Total seven satellites of the IRNSS constellation will be launched and the full constellation will be up during 2014 timeframe. The entire IRNSS satellite constellation will compromise of three satellites geostationary orbits and four in inclined geosynchronous orbits, of which IRNSS-1A is the first one. Factbox: IRNSS-1A IRNSS expands to Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System. Indias first dedicated Indian Navigation Satellite System and has a life span of around 10 years. Placed in an inclined geosynchronous orbit at 55 degree East longitude with an inclined orbit of 29 degrees with respect to the equator. Positioned at 36,000 Kms altitude. It is intended to provide terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation services and help in disaster and fleet management. To provide accurate position information service for terrestrial (cars, goods transport, buses) aerial
(flights) and maritime (shipping) navigation for users in India as well as neighbouring regions extending up to 1,500 km from Indias borders/boundaries, which will be its primary service area. It will provide two types of services: 1. Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for all users 2. Restricted Service (RS), an encrypted service provided only to authorized users. Applications of IRNSS: Terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture, terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travelers, and visual and voice navigation for drivers. Fact Box: INS Trikand (F51) July 3rd, 2013 Indian Navy inducts INS Trikand (F51) Indian Navy has further expanded it arsenal by inducting Russian built guided-missile stealth frigate INS Trikand. It is the last of the six stealth frigates ordered from Russia. The Navy had earlier inducted three 4,000-tonne Talwar-class stealth frigates ( Talwar, Trishul and Tabar) from Russia in 20032004. India went on to buy another three (Teg, Tarkash and Trikand) under a $1.15 billion contract inked in 2006. Factbox: INS Trikand INS Trikand (F51) is a Talwar class frigate of the Indian Navy. The Talwar class A class of frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy. Equipped with state-of-the-art combat suite: Supersonic 290-km BrahMos missile system, Shtil advanced surface-to-air missiles, upgraded A-190 medium range gun, electro-optical 30-mm close-in weapon system and anti-submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and advanced electronic warfare system. Trebovanie-M: A combat management system which integrates weapons and sensors to enable the ship to
simultaneously neutralize multiple surface, sub-surface and air threats. Innovative features to reduce its radar, magnetic and acoustic signatures to ensure it is relatively difficult to detect by enemy radars. Capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots Note: India is also building its own stealth frigates. Three Shivalik-class frigates, built at Mazagon Docks (MDL), have already been inducted by the Navy. There is a programme called Project-17A of over Rs 50,000 crore which is under consideration which plans to construct seven advanced stealth frigates, with all weapon and missile systems under the hull for a lower radar sign ature. The project will be shared b/w MDL at Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) at Kolkata. India imposes ban on testing of cosmetics on animals July 2nd, 2013 In a remarkable decision intended to prevent cruelty to animals, India has decided to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals. This has made India the first country in South Asia to impose such a ban. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Cosmetics Sectional Committee, chaired by the Drugs Controller General of India and is in line with the European Unions stand. The step follows appeals from various quarters, including that from the National Advisory Council Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and campaigner for animal rights Maneka Gandhi and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), to prevent cruelty to animals. What is the ban? Any cosmetic product which performs animal testing will face action as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Animal Cruelty Act. Infringement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by any person or corporate manager or owner is liable for punishment for a term which may extend from 3-10 years and shall also be liable to fine which could be Rs.500 to Rs.10,000, or with both. The law also makes it mandatory to use modern non-animal alternative
tests, replacing invasive tests on animals. It implies that any manufacturer interested in testing new cosmetic ingredients or finished products must first get the approval from Indias regulator Central Drug Standards Control Organization. A manufacturer will be given approval to test only after complying with the BIS non-animal standards. Animal Testing Status: Companies around the world are switching to effective, modern non-animal tests and more than 1,200 companies have already given up animal-testing methods. But many still are carrying out with the same old procedures of subjecting animals to painful tests. India-Russia talks cut no ice on nuclear liability July 3rd, 2013 No progress could be made b/w India and Russia on the issue of nuclear liability. The talks were held b/w Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chief R.K. Sinha and Russias nuclear corporation Rosatom head, Sergei Kiriyenko. What is the issue? Russia is building nuclear reactors in India at Kudankulam. India wants Russia to place the new reactors under its Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act, 2010, which holds the operator wholly liable in the event of an accident, gives it a right of recourse against suppliers if the accident is caused by defective equipment. Whereas, Russians refer to the Indo-Russia inter-government agreement of 2008, which makes the operator alone liable for possible damages at Units 3-6 to be built at Kudankulam. This issue has stalled signing of contract for the construction of Units 3 and 4 at the Kudankulam nuclear power project. India to host 2016 World T20 and 2023 ODI World Cup July 3rd, 2013 As per the announcement made by the International Cricket Council (ICC), India will host the World T20 in 2016 and the 50-over World Cup in 2023. The Champions Trophy, the last edition of which was won by India recently
has been replaced with World Test Championship,the first edition of which will be held in England and Wales in June-July 2017. India will host its 2nd edition in February-March 2021. ICC agreed on the following: Full members of the ICC will play a minimum of 16 tests over a four-year period. In order to ensure that all ODIs player over the four-year cycle b/w World Cups count towards a teams ranking, the ODIs ranking period will be changed from three years to four years. In order to bring consistency, the calculations of the T20 ranking will be changed to cover the same period. The date of the annual ICC Rankings update will be changed to May 1 rather than August 1. Najeeb Jung appointed as new Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi July 3rd, 2013 President Pranab Mukherjee appointed Najeeb Jung (62), former ViceChancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, as the new Lieutenant-Governor ofDelhi. He will replace Tejendra Khanna. Mr. Jung had joined the Indian Administrative Services in 1973 and served at various positions at the Centre and Madhya Pradesh. He had quit IAS after serving as Joint Secretary (Exploration) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Other Key Appointments: Former Delhi Police commissioner K K Paul appointed asMeghalaya governor replacing Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary. Punjab Congress chief Virendra Kataria has been appointed as LG of Puducherry succeeding Iqbal Singh. Lt Gen (retired) A K Singh replaced Lt Gen (retired) Bhopinder Singh as LG of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. U.N. peacekeeping forces to take over from French troops in Mali July 3rd, 2013 United Nations peacekeeping force will take over from African troops in
conflict-scarred Mali. A 12,600strong force will take over security duties from French troops who entered Mali in January 2013. France had sent troops to the country to recapture two key towns from al-Qaeda linked Islamists holding Malis north. The move was backed by the UN. The majority of his soldiers will be Africans already stationed in Mali butChina has offered to supply more than 500 troops, its biggest contribution to U.N. peacekeeping. Other nations including Sweden,Bangladesh and Norway will also contribute their troops in the UN forces. The U.N. mission is due to play a significant role in presidential polls announced for July 28, 2013. Ms Sujata Singh will be next Foreign Secretary of India July 5th, 2013 Ms Sujata Singh (59), envoy to Germany, will be Indias next foreign secretary after an approval of her appointment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sujata Singh is a 1976 batch IFS officer who will succeed the current Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai who set to retire on July 31, 2013. She will be the third woman to head the services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao. India rejects Snowdens request seeking political as ylum July 5th, 2013 India turned down USA whistleblower Edward Snowdens request seeking political asylum. The Indian Embassy in Moscow had received a communication containing a request for asylum. Earlier, Snowden, currently sheltered in the transit zone of Moscow airport, has sought asylum in 20 countries, including India. These asylum requests have been filed by Sarah Harrison, legal advisor of WikiLeaks in the matter of Snowden. The requests were made to a number of countries including Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland,Spain, Swiss Confederation, Venezuela. Snowden is wanted in the US on the charges of espionage and leaking classified documents. Documents leaked by him last month revealed a systematic and
large-scale surveillance of phone and internet communications by the NSA around the world. India is close to completing Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor July 5th, 2013 Indias first comm ercial fast breeder reactor the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is in an advanced stage of completion at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Indigenously developed mixed-oxide type fuel pins for the PFBRs first core were under manufacture and delivery. 95% of the PFBR construction had been completed and is expected to go critical by September 2014. The Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad, is manufacturing the reactors fuel bundles and they are being assembled in a workshop at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam. The Centre had sanctioned Rs. 5,677 crore for building the PFBR. Electricity generated from the PFBR would be sold to the State Electricity Boards at Rs. 4.44 a unit. The responsibility of developing PFBR is with Bhartiya Nabhkiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI). Election Commission directs all State district collectors to set up district level panels to monitor paid news July 3rd, 2013 In the wake of increasing incidence of paid news and upcoming RajasthanAssembly polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed all State district collectors to set up district-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee . ECI has also recommended an amendment to the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, to include pa id news as a corrupt practice. What will be the role of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee? The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee is part of a three-tier apparatus at the District, State and Central level. The Committee will be engaged in suo motu as well as complaint-based monitoring of paid news. If it is established that a candidate has paid for news, the amount paid will be included in his/her
election expenditure and he/she will have to furnish this expenditure to the returning officer within 30 days of the elections. India-China trade deficit expands to $12 billion July 5th, 2013 There is a 34% surge in the trade deficit b/w India-China that reached $ 12 billion in the first five months of 2013, portraying a grim picture for Indian exports as bilateral trade continued to decrease, discouraging hopes of attaining a trade volume of $ 100 billion by 2015. Some key facts: The India-China bilateral trade touched $ 26.5 billion till May 2013. The trade deficit for India has expanded year-on-year to $ 12 billion, up by 34%. The trade volume was lowered by over $ 2 billion compared to 2012. While the Chinese exports registered marginal increase the bilateral trade numbers are falling. Exports have declined substantially while imports have risen marginally. Adding to the concerns, Indias main export items like cotton, iron ore and copper have continued their downward slide. Iron ore plunged by 76% to $ 595.42 million. Cotton and copper declined by 40% to $ 1.39 billion and 24% to $ 688.53 million respectively. Indias overall share in Chinese exports has dropped to under 1% from 1.33%. Cotton yarn and diamonds are the other two exports that rounded off the top five. Cotton yarn is the only item which is showing a jump of 115% to reach a value of $ 740 million. Diamonds have increased by 14% to record $ 562.1 million. The Chinese exports to India were increasing by 2.7% year-on-year. Taj Mahal placed among top three landmarks in the world July 5th, 2013 As per leading travel website TripAdvisors 2013 Travellers Choice Attractions Awards, Indias Taj Mahal is among the top three landmarks in the world. Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of Top 25 landmarks.
The top two ranks were bagged by Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia respectively. Taj Mahal, listed among the new seven-wonders of the world, is world-famous for its architecture and aesthetic beauty. Taj Mahal which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, is situated in the northern Indian city of Agra. It received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1983. It attracts 2-4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas. Petra World Heritage Site in Jordan and Bayon Temple in Cambodia are ranked 4th and 5th respectively in the list of 25 top landmarks in the world. Brazil wins Confederations Cup 2013 July 5th, 2013 Brazil vanquished world and European champions Spain by registering a 3-0 win in the Confederations Cup final. Brazil who will be hosting the next World Cup has clinched the cup for a third time in a row. FIFA Confederations Cup International football tournament for national teams Held every four years by FIFA 8 Teams contest - holders of each of the 6 FIFA confederation championships (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, OFC), along with the FIFA World Cup holder and the host nation. 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 9th FIFA Confederations Cup, and was held in Brazil. Treaty inked in Marrakesh (Morocco) giving blind, visually impaired better access to books July 5th, 2013 Treaty to help visually impaired get access to books signed in Marrakesh (Morocco) A significant treaty was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco, that will make access to books for the visually impaired, blind and print disabled easier. The negotiations were facilitated by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for the Marrakesh
Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled. How will the treaty help the visually impaired? The treaty will provide access to books for the visually impaired by requiring its contracting parties to adopt national law provisions that permit the reproduction, distribution and making available of published works in accessible formats through limitations and exceptions to the rights of copyright right holders. The issue of copyright was playing a hindrance in providing the visually impaired access to knowledge. The treaty allows the waiver of copyright restrictions in order for books to be available in formats such as formats such as Braille, large print text and audio books. The treaty also provides assurances to authors and publishers that that system will not expose their published works to misuse or distribution to anyone other than the intended beneficiaries. Why do we need this treaty? There are an estimated 285 million blind and partially-sighted people in the world, of which the largest percentage lives in India. Only 1 to 7% of all books published are available in formats accessible to them. Indias key campaigner for the treaty, the late Rahul Cherian of Inclusive Planet had anticipated the possibility of such a treaty. Marion Bartoli clinches Wimbledon 2013Womens Singles title July 6th, 2013 French tennis player Marion Bartoli defeated German Sabine Lasicki to win the womens Singles category of Wimbledon tournament played in London. Marion Bartoli is a top-10 French professional tennis player. She has won one singles major; seven other Womens Tennis Association singles titles and three doubles titles. Fact Box: National Cyber Security Policy (NSCP) 2013 Of India July 5th, 2013 India launches National Cyber Security Policy 2013 to secure cyber space The government has announced a National Cyber Security Policy 2013 which aims to address the threats
emanating from the cyber world. The Policy proposes to: Set up different bodies to tackle various levels of threats, along with a national nodal agency, to coordinate all matters related to cyber security. Create a National Critical Information InfrastructureProtection Centre (NCIIPC), which will act as a 247 centre to battle cyber security threats in strategic areas such as air control, nuclear and space. It will function under the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a technical intelligence gathering agency controlled directly by the National Security Adviser in the Prime Ministers Office. The current agency, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), will deal with all public and private infrastructure. Create a workforce of around 500,000 trained in cyber security. Provide fiscal benefits to businesses to adopt best security practices. Set up testing labs to regularly check the safety of equipment being used in the country. Create a cyber ecosystem in the country, developing effective publicprivate partnerships and collaborative engagements through technical and operational cooperation. Building indigenous security technologies through research. Curb sale of adulterated milk: Supreme Court to State govts July 5th, 2013 Expressing concern over the sale of adulterated milk in the country, theSupreme Court has directed the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan,Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi to file their response stating what action they are taking to curb the menace of milk adulteration, after the Centre submitted that it is for the state governments to take action on the issue. The direction from the court came during a hearing on a PIL filed by a group of citizens led by Swami Achyutanand Tirth of Uttarakhand, who have alleged that synthetic and adulterated milk and milk products are prepared using urea, detergent, refined oil, caustic soda and white paint, which, according to studies,
are very hazardous to human life and can cause diseases like cancer. The court would later on expand the ambit of the PIL to include all the states in the country on the issue. According to a survey conducted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): Over 68% of milk in the country does not conform to the standards set by the FSSAI. Over 68% of the non -conforming milk was found in urban areas, 66% of which was loose milk. Most common ways of adulteration was found to be the addition of water, and the main reason for deviation from the standards was addition of glucose and skimmed milk powder. It had also found that some samples contained detergent. Over 83% of the non-conforming milk in rural areas was found to be loose milk. Bhiwani, Bharatpur and Mahendragarh are now part of NCR July 5th, 2013 The Union Urban Development Ministry has announced that the National Capital Region has been expanded by including Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts of Haryanaand Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in the NCR. There is also a proposal to include Jind and Karnal of Haryana in the NCR. How would the inclusion in NCR benefit? The included regions can expect better infrastructure, improved connectivity with Delhi and other regions, and more development. The NCR Planning Board provides loans on lower rates of interest for the development of the constituents of the region. Property prices are also expected to rise with their inclusion in the NCR. Note: The NCR region now extends to a total of 11 districts in Haryana, 6 in Uttar Pradesh and 2 in Rajasthan. India establishes IPv6 Test Lab July 6th, 2013 Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) which is the technical arm of Department of
Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications & IT has set up an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Lab which has been approved by the IPv6 Ready Logo Committee under IPv6 Forum, an International body. By doing this, India has entered the club of select group of nations which include Europe, USA, Japan, China and Taiwanhaving IPv6 Ready Logo test lab facilities. Other What will IPv6 test lab do? As the world has moved on from addressing scheme IPv4 to the new IPv6 scheme it was imperative to have such a lab to encourage service providers, content providers and the customer premises equipment vendors to move to IPv6 address implementation. Establishing a testinginfrastructure was also stipulated in the National Telecommunication Policy -2012. TEC will play an instrumental role in the Interoperability and testing of IPv6 products as a major piece of the India IPv6 Strategy roadmap announced by the India Government in building the New Internet infrastructure as inter-operability creates genuine end-user confidence in new technologies. Father of Mouse: Douglas Engelbart passed July 6th, 2013 Douglas C. Engelbart, a technologist who ideated the computer mouse and laid out a vision of an Internet decades before others brought those ideas to the mass market, passed away. It was in 1968 when he first showcased his idea to an audience of 1,000 leading technologists in San Francisco, Engelbart, a computer scientist at the Stanford Research Institute, demonstrated a cubic device with two rolling discs called an X-Y position indicator for a display system. Engelbart also displayed, in real-time, the image and voice of a colleague 30 miles away. That was the first videoconference. And he explained a theory of how pages of information could be tied together using textbased links, an idea that would later form the bedrock of the Webs architecture. In 2000, Engelbart was given prestigious accolades including the National
Medal of Technology and the Turing Award. At the same time, he grappled with his fade into obscurity even as technology entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates built fortunes off of the personal computer and became celebrity billionaires by realizing some of his early ideas. Engelbart worked at teaching position at the University of California, Berkeley. He later took a job at SRI and during this period developed the design for a desktop mouse. SRI later licensed the technology for $40,000 to Apple, which released the first commercial mouse with its Lisa computer in 1983. Man-made factors to blame Uttarakhand Floods: Environmentalists July 6th, 2013 The devastating floods of Uttarakhand which ravaged the region by killing thousands and leaving hundreds of other stranded has more man-made factors and less natural cause behind it. As per Environmentalists the uncontrolled development and poor disaster planning has aggravated flood damage. How is it a man-made disaster? As per experts indiscriminate development in hill towns and along rivers has blocked the natural flow of water and exacerbated flood damage. They place the blame on successive governments who have prioritized large scale infrastructure construction and neglected disaster prevention. The unbridled growth of tourism accompanied with proliferation of roads, hotels, shops and multistory housing in ecologically fragile areas and above all mushrooming hydroelectricity dams that disrupt water balances are the underlying causes of this catastrophe. It was not unprecedented that Uttarakhand region witnessed such heavy rainfalls as the records show that Uttarakhand has recorded single-day rainfall in excess of 400mm several times, including 450mm in 1995 and 900mm in 1965. Cloudbursts, floods and rapid swelling of fast-flowing rivers arent uncommon. But this time the floodwaters, loaded with tens of thousands of tonnes of silt, boulders and
debris from dam construction, found no outlet. The routes they took in the past, including ravines and streams, were blocked with sand and rocks. The waters deluged towns and villages, submerging some buildings under several feet of mud, asphyxiating life. It is highly probable that the floods were exacerbated by Glacier Lake Outbursts Floods (GLOFs) which inundated the Kedarnath temple. GLOFs, or the explosive bursting of glacier lakes, are thought to be a result of human-induced climate change, which is causing rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, themselves warming at twice the global rate. Lack of an early warning system, effective evacuation plans and a responsive disaster management system added to the calamity. Modestly priced radar-based technology to forecast cloudbursts would have saved lives. But it wasnt installed. There was failure on the level of local governance too. Sloppy, unregulated construction of roads and bridges was permitted on crumbling, landslide-prone ridges and steep slopes, overlooking the regions delicate geology and high earthquake vulnerability. Large scale deforestation and construction of hundreds of buildings in the flood plains of rivers have taken place. Riverbeds were recklessly mined for sand. As construction debris accumulated, land contours and flows of streams and rivers changed. Indiscriminate construction of hydroelectric dams was the biggest mistake. These involve drilling huge tunnels in the hills by blasting rocks, placing enormous turbines in the tunnels, destroying soil-binding vegetation to build water channels and other infrastructure, laying transmission lines and carelessly dumping excavated muck. Many dams have been built on the same river so close to one another that they leave no scope for its regeneration. Russia to send Olympic torch to space July 6th, 2013 Russia who will be hosting 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi has announced to
send an unlit Olympic torch into space. The Russian Federal Space Agency will take the torch to the Soyuz TMA11M manned spaceship in early November 2013 as part of the four-month torch relay. Once it reaches space, Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryazansky and Oleg Kotov will take the Olympic torch on a spacewalk. It will be first event of its kind. Himachal Pradesh becomes countrys first smoke-free State July 6th, 2013 Himachal Pradesh has been declared the first smoke-free State in the country in compliance with Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 . The State has achieved 85.45% compliance with the relevant parameters. The State government intends to eliminate tobacco products and has hiked taxes on bidis and cigarettes from 11 and 18% to 22 and 36%, respectively in the 2013-14 Budget. What is the scope COTPA 2003? The Act is applicable to all products containing tobacco in any form i.e. cigarettes, cigars, cheroots, bidis, gutka, pan masala (containing tobacco) khaini, mawa, mishri, snuff etc. as detailed in the Schedule to the Act. The Act extends to the whole of India including the state ofJammu and Kashmir. What does Section 4 of COTPA provide for? Section 4: Prohibition Of Smoking In Public Places The Government of India passed new rules on May 30, 2008 for effective realization of the objectives of smoke free environments as stipulated under the Indian law. No person shall smoke in any public place Public Place means any place to which the public have access, whether as of right or not, and includes auditorium, hospital buildings, railway waiting room, amusement centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, work places, shopping malls, cinema halls, educational institutions, libraries,
public conveyances and the like which are visited by general public but does not include any open space. Mandates display of board containing the warning No Smoking Area Smoking Here is an Offence Hotels & Restaurants should ensure physical segregation of smoking and non-smoking area. Hotels having thirty rooms or a restaurant having seating capacity of thirty persons or more and in the airports, a separate provision for smoking area or space may be made. FIIs withdraw $5.6 billion from debt market in June 2013 July 6th, 2013 Past June 2013 was quite unfortunate for Indian currency and Indian debt market as it saw a historic outflow of FIIs to the tune of $5.6 billion which was the highest ever withdrawal in the markets history. A weak rupee diminishes the returns earned by FIIs. The exit meant net FII investment in the Indian debt market turned negative in the first half of calendar 2013, with outflows of $1.8 billion. The pull out shattered the inflow trend of the first five months of this year when FIIs had pumped in $3.9 billion. The net inflow in calendar 2012 was $5.9 billion. It was not only the debt market which plunged, FIIs also pulled out $1.8 billion from the equity market. Their net investment in equities, however, remained positive at $13.5 billion. Markets worldwide have been affected by the US Federal Reserves announcement that it will gradually withdraw its quantitative easing strategy, which has served its purpose. What is the current status? Indian investors fear that foreign inflows into the market will be hit if the US stimulus comes to an end. At the end of June, the cumulative FII investment in Indias debt market was at $31.7 billion, while the equity exposure was $139.5 billion. A total of 1,753 FIIs are registered with market regulator SEBI for transacting in the countrys market, with the number of registered sub-accounts pegged at 6,404. Telefonica launched worlds first Firefox OS smartphone
July 6th, 2013 Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider Telefonica has launched the worlds first smartphone with the Firefox Operating System (OS) to compete with devices running Googles Android and Apples iOS. The ZTE Open smartphone are being offered in Spain for 69 euros (about $90) and will soon be available in several Latin American countries. Features: The ZTE Open smartphone is equipped with a 3.5-inch 480x320p touchscreen, a 3.2MP camera, 256MB RAM and 512MB flash memory enhanced with a 4GB microSD card that comes as part of the package. It is fully integrated with Facebook and the Spain-based social network Tuenti. Ghaziabad, Allahabad most polluted in Uttar Pradesh: Survey July 6th, 2013 In a recent survey conducted by Delhi-based Centre for Science andEnvironment (CSE) it was found that Ghaziabad and Allahabad are the two most air polluted cities in Uttar Pradesh. As per the survey: Pollutants of the size of 10 micron was found in Ghaziabad, Allahabad, Kanpur and Bareilly, which was four times the acceptable size of particulates in urban areas. Air pollution levels were thrice as high as the prescribed limits in Lucknow, Firozabad, Agra, Mathura, Khurja, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Gajraula. Unnao has come out as the cleanest air quality despite a heavy presence of tanneries in the town. Nitrogen-di-oxide pollutant is found to be increasing dangerously in Meerut, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad and Kanpur. It is the highest in Meerut and lowest in Rae Bareilly. Khurja and Ghaziabad have dangerous levels of sulphur-di-oxide mixed in the air. The presence of multi-pollutants was found in cities like Mathura, Khurja and Ghaziabad. The leading cause of pollution was found to be the manifold increase in the number of vehicles. The growing use of diesel was a major contributor to the growing air pollution levels. The emissions were
leading to serious ailments and diseases like cancer. Military coup in Egypt removes Morsy July 7th, 2013 The recently elected Islamist President of Egypt Mohamed Morsy has been removed from power in a military coup staged under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, head of Egypts armed forces who issued a declaration suspending the Constitution and appointing the head of the constitutional court as interim head of state. Gen. al-Sisi called for presidential and parliamentary elections, a panel to review the Constitution and a national reconciliation committee that would include youth movements. The road map had been agreed to by a range of political groups. Earlier, the top generals summoned civilian political leaders to an emergency meeting to discuss a new interim government while moving tanks toward the presidential palace and restricting Morsys travel. The militarys intelligence service had banned any travel by Morsy and senior Islamist aides, including the Muslim Brotherhoods supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, and his influential deputy, Khairat el-Shater. This move from army has led to violent protests by the supporters of Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsy. Chief Justice Adly Mansour declared interim President of Egypt July 7th, 2013 The Chief Justice of Egypts Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour has taken over as the interim President of the nations hours after the military ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsy and launched a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Mr. Morsy belongs. The supreme leader of the Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie has also been arrested. Mr. Morsy who a year ago became Egypts first freely elected President, has been held in an unknown location since the generals removed him.
The Brotherhood has announced it would boycott the new militarysponsored political process and called on its supporter to restrain themselves and not to use violence. Parveez Rasool is the first J&K cricketer in Team India July 7th, 2013 Parveez Rasool (24) created history by becoming the first cricketer fromJammu and Kashmir to be named in the Indian team as the selectors chose to rest captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and four other key players for the upcoming ODI tour of Zimbabwe. The all-rounder has got the nod in the 15-member squad for the five-match ODI series to be held from July 24 to August 3 at Harare and Bulawayo. Cabinet passed Ordinance to implement Food Security Bill July 7th, 2013 In order to implement the Food Security Bill, the cabinet unanimously approved an ordinance regarding the same. The Food Security Bill guarantees food entitlements to two-thirds (67%) at highly subsidized rates. The bill envisages providing 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3, Rs 2, Rs 1 per kg, respectively, every month to three-fourths of rural population and half the urban population in the country. The scheme would require more than 61 million tonnes of foodgrain and is expected to cost the government about Rs 1,25,000 crore. The plan proposes to continue the Antyodaya Anna Yojna through which government provides poor households 35 kg foodgrain per household per month at subsidized prices of Rs 1-3 per kg. Many are of the view that the programme will burn a hole in governments pocket whereas research agency Crisil estimates that the Food Security Bill could generate additional savings of around Rs 4,400 this year for each below-poverty-line (BPL) household, which begins
to purchase subsidised food. As per the agency, these savings equals around 8% and 5% of the annual expenditure of a rural and urban household. Saudi Arabia extends Nitaqat deadline to November 3, 2013 July 7th, 2013 Giving some relief to Indians in Saudi Arabia who are facing trouble in adjusting to the changes in the employment opportunities introduced by the ongoing Nitaqat (naturalisation) legislation being implemented by the Labour Ministry of the Kingdom, King Abdullah has extended the deadline for implementing the legislation from July 3 to November 3, 2013. This decision would give some more time to Indian expatriates to either find a new employment or return home. The extension of time limit would help the Indian workers most of them who would become jobless as employers now have to compulsorily implement 10% reservation in jobs for locals return to their homeland hassle-free without getting arrested or penalized. What is Nitaqat? The Nitaqat is a new policy being placed by the Saudi government in order to reduce the unemployment rate among Saudi citizens. This policy makes it mandatory for Saudi Companies to reserve 10 percent of jobs for Saudi nationals. Why Saudi Arabia is implementing such a policy? Saudi Arabias economy depends heavily on the existence of a large proportion of expatriates working for various establishments in the private and public sector. However, unlike the other states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Saudi Arabia has large number of unemployed citizens, which creates a state of resentment among those citizens. As per estimates, the unemployment rate among Saudi nationals has reached 12%. More than 6.5 million non-Saudis are working in the private sector of the Kingdom
compared to 7,00,000 Saudis. Joint Sea-2013: China-Russias largest-ever naval drill July 7th, 2013 China and Russia are together conducting their largest-ever joint naval exercise named Joint Sea2013 in the Sea of Japan, a further sign of the broad-based progress in relations b/w the former Cold War era rivals. Those participating in the drill include eighteen surface ships, one submarine, three airplanes, five ship-launched helicopters and two commando units. The drills will cover antisubmarine warfare, close manoeuvring, and the simulated take-over of an enemy ship. China has long been a key customer for Russian military equipments, but only in the last decade have their militaries started training jointly. The naval drills are to be followed by another round of anti-terrorism joint drills in Russias Ural Mountain region of Chelyabinsk. Edward Snowden gets asylum offer from Venezuela, Nicaragua July 7th, 2013 Defying the US warnings to countries to not extend asylum to Snowden arguing that he is wanted on charges of espionage and leaking classified information, two Latin American countries Venezuela and Nicaragua offered asylum to Edward Snowden who disclosed the US clandestine electronic surveillance programme. Snowden, who first fled to Hong Kong, is currently stranded at the Moscow airport transit. The CIA whistleblower Snowden had applied for asylum in more than two dozen countries, including India. The request was denied by India and majority of the countries. But announcements by presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela offering asylum could be viewed as a big disappointment for the US, which had been asking countries not to grant Snowden an asylum and he be returned to the country. R. Chandrasekhar appointed as NASSCOM President July 7th, 2013 The National Association of Software and Services Companies
(NASSCOM), has appointed R. Chandrasekhar (60), the former Secretary Department of Telecommunications (DoT), as its president. Chandrashekhar will take over current Nasscom President Som Mittal, whose tenure ends in January 2014. Mr. Chandrasekhar is a 1975 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh and as the Secretary of DoT drew policies around licensing, spectrum management, National Broadband Plan and the National Telecom Policy 2012, among others Mohamed ElBaradei is the interim PM of Egypt July 10th, 2013 Former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei who is also the liberal opposition leader in Egypt has been named as Egypts new Prime Minister to head a caretaker government. ElBaradei leads an alliance of liberal and left-wing parties, the National Salvation Front. Baradei and the IAEA were jointly honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. ElBaradei also played a key role in recent politics in Egypt, particularly the 2011 uprising which dethroned President Hosni Mubarak, and in the 2013 revolution that ousted President Mohamed Morsi. Andy Murray becomes the first Briton in 77 Years to clinch Wimbledon Mens Single title July 10th, 2013 Andy Murray of Britain created history when he defeated Serbian star player Novak Djokovic at Center Court of London to become the first Briton in 77 years to win the Mens Singles Title at Wimbledon 2013. Earlier he was Fred Perry, who won his last Championship in 1936. Winners of other formats at Wimbledon: Mixed Doubles Final: Daniel Nestor of Canada and Kristina Mladenovic of France. Girls Doubles Championship Final : Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic Boys Singles Championship Final: Gianluigi Quinzi of Italy Boys Doubles Title Final: Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis of
Australia. Wheelchair Gentlemens Doubles Title Final: Shingo Kunieda of Japan and Stephane Houdet of France. Wheelchair Ladies Doubles Title Final: J. Griffioen and A. Van Koot of Netherlands. Sr. Gents Invitation Doubles Final: Pat Cash and Mark Woodforde of Australia. Ladies Invitation Doubles Final: L. Davenport of USA and Martina Hingis of Switzerland. Gentlemens Invitation Doubles Final: Thomas Enqvist ofSweden and Mark Philippoussis of Australia. RBI defines term control, notifies FDI guidelines July 7th, 2013 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) guidelines pending for past four years as Press notes 2 and 3 of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion will be used to ensure that foreign direct investments comply with FDI ceilings and other norms. The Press note also defines the term control or ownership of a company. As per the notification: A company is considered as controlled by resident Indian citizens if the power to appoint a majority of the directors on its board is held by Indian companies and citizens. A company is considered as owned by resident Indians if more than 50 per cent of the equity is held by the entities in India. If over 50% of the equity of a company is held by a non-resident Similarly, it would be a foreign company. As regards investments made b/w February 13, 2009 and the date of publication of the notification, Indian companies are required to intimate, within 3 months, the detailed position where the issue of shares or downstream investment is not in conformity with the regulatory framework now being
prescribed. Note: The recent notification by the RBI has come amidst debate over control of Jet Airways post-UAEs Etihad buying stake. Various ministries and department including the market regulators Securities and Exchange Board of India have raised concerns about the ultimate control of Jet once the deal with Etihad goes through. Two HIV infected show no sign of disease after Bone marrow transplants July 7th, 2013 In an exciting development for the scientists and people living with AIDS/HIV, two men became free of HIV infection after bone marrow transplants and are not under Aids drugs treatments for several months without any sign of the virus returning. The two men, who had longstanding HIV infections, were given bone marrow transplants in Boston because they were suffering from cancers of the blood. Tests showed that as their own cells were replaced by cells from the bone marrow donor, the virus in their blood steadily dropped to undetectable levels. Although the results are sanguine for all, scientists are not calling it completely cured case as the virus is notorious to hide itself and remain at low levels but remain capable of becoming active. To be sure of anything, scientists will have to follow-up the cases for at least one year to understand the full impact of bone marrow transplant. What if the idea works? Even if the bone marrow transplant shows positive results there will be challenges in making it available for everyone in need. Besides, this method also has a high mortality rate of 1520% and the patient has to take drugs to suppress their immune system thereafter. But the experiences of the two men will teach scientists a great deal more about how to combat the virus. RBI allows asset financing NBFCs to access ECB market July 10th, 2013 As per a notification by the Reserve Bank of India which reviewed
theExternal Commercial Borrowing (ECB) policy, Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) categorized as Asset Financing Companies (AFCs) by the RBI have been allowed to access the ECB market. The access is subject to certain conditions, including availing of ECB under the automatic route with minimum average maturity of 5 years to finance import of infrastructure equipment for leasing to infrastructure projects. Besides, NBFC-AFCs availing of ECB through Foreign Currency Bonds (FCB) will be allowed to raise capital only from markets, subject to regulations by the host country complaint with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidelines. Such ECBs can be availed up to 75% of owned funds of NBFCAFCs, subject to a maximum of $200 million or its equivalent per financial year. ECBs by AFCs above 75% of their owned funds will be considered under the approval route and currency risk of such ECBs is required to be fully hedged. NBFC-Infrastructure Finance Companies (IFCs) are allowed to access ECB for on-lending to infrastructure sector both under automatic and approval routes. First IVF baby born using NGS technique July 10th, 2013 The first IVF baby named Connor Levy was born in the US who has undergone an embryo selection using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technique, which was developed to read whole genomes quickly and cheaply to select healthy embryos having no chromosomal abnormalities. Though on this occasion scientists only looked at chromosomes the structures that hold genes the falling cost of whole-genome sequencing means doctors could soon read all the DNA of IVF embryos before choosing which to implant. How this technology can help? The chances of an embryo having the wrong number of chromosomes rise with the mothers age, and potentially with the fathers. Most of the time, embryos with abnormal chromosomes fail to implant. Those
that do are usually miscarried. The portion that survive are born with genetic disorders, such as Downs syndrome. Next-generation sequencing could enable IVF clinics to determine the chances of children developingdiseases. This technology can prevent this by reading the genome of the embryo and telling which are with defective chromosomes or possessing the risk of future genetic diseases thus aiding in selection of healthy embryo for further development through IVF. Government notifies Food Security Ordinance 2013 July 10th, 2013 The National Food Security Ordinance, 2013, which entitles 67% of the population to receive subsidized grains from the government every month, has been notified by the Union Government. The Ordinance has been introduced to implement the Food Security Bill which envisages providing 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3, Rs 2, Rs 1 per kg, respectively, every month to three-fourths of rural population and half the urban population in the country. The scheme would require more than 61 million tonnes of foodgrain and is expected to cost the government about Rs 1,25,000 crore. The plan proposes to continue the Antyodaya Anna Yojna through which government provides poor households 35 kg foodgrain per household per month at subsidized prices of Rs 1-3 per kg. The ordinance puts the responsibility of implementation and monitoring of the scheme under the Targeted Public Distribution System on the States. It gives them 6 months to set up the systems to implement the scheme. IIFA Awards 2013 Winners July 10th, 2013 The winners of the 14th IIFA Awards 2013 (International Indian Film Academy) under various categories were declared at an event held at Macau. The award winners and their respective categories are as follows: Best Actress: Vidya Balan for Kahaani
Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor for Barfi. Best Film: Barfi and the film also bagged 9 awards in technical categoryBest Cinematography (Ravi Varman I.S.C.), Best Background Score (Pritam), Best Screenplay (Anurag Basu and Tani Basu), Best Production Design (Rajat Poddar), Best Song Recording (Eric Pillai), Best Sound Design (Shajith Koyeri), Best Sound Mixing (Debajit Changmai), Best Costume Designing (Aki Narula and Shefalina) and Best MakeUp (Uday Serali). Best Action and Best Dialogue: Gangs of Wasseypur Best Editing: Kahaani (Namrata Rao) Best Choreography: Ganesh Acharya for Agneepath. Best Special Effects : Ek Tha Tiger Tagore Award to be conferred on Zubin Mehta July 12th, 2013 Zubin Mehta, western classical music conductor of Indian-Parsi origin, will be honored with the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony. He has been unanimously chosen for this by a four-member jury led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and comprising Chief Justice ofIndia Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Membership of MPs, MLAs to be disqualified on date of criminal conviction: Supreme Court July 12th, 2013 In a major ruling the Supreme Court held that charge-sheeted Members of Parliament and MLAs, on conviction for the offences, will be immediately disqualified from holding membership of the House without being given three months time for appeal, as was the case before. The court struck down as ultra vires Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act that allows convicted law makers a three-month period for filing their appeal to the higher court and to get a stay of the conviction and the sentence. However, the court clarified, the ruling will be
prospective and those who had already filed appeals in various High Courts or the Supreme Court against their convictions would be exempt from it. What does Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act say? Section 8 of the RP Act deals with disqualification on conviction for certain offence: A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for varying terms under Sections 8 (1) (2) and (3) shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of 6 years since his release. But Section 8 (4) of the RP Act gives protection to MPs and MLAs as they can continue in office even after conviction if an appeal is filed within 3 months. Why this ruling? The order is a result of three PILs filed by Lily Thomas, the organization Lok Prahari and SN Shukla, saying Section 8(4) of RPA was leading to criminalization of politics. Australia starts operating MWA telescope to explore universe origins July 12th, 2013 Taking a major step towards the ambitious Square Kilometre Array (SKA) astronomy project, Australia has switched on a test telescope named Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) to explore the origins of the universe. What is Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)? Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is a low-frequency radio telescope operating at the remote outback site that will host the SKA. The array will help in exploring the origins of the universe, in understanding the interaction b/w the Earth and the Sun, give early warning of destructive solar flares and study our galaxy and other galaxies. The telescope consists of 2,048 dipole antennae, arranged into 128 tile clusters, about 100 km west of Meekathara in the deep radio silence of Australias remote red-sand desert. What is Square Kilometre Array (SKA)? Click here for more about SKA IOR countries to pursue open regionalism to stimulate growth
July 10th, 2013 Trade and industry ministers of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) member nations agreed to promote trade within the grouping to encourage economic cooperation and development in the strategic Indian Ocean region. India (Gurgaon) and Mauritius co-hosted the first economic and business conference under the theme of Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive & Sustainable Growth. They decided to encourage open regionalism and reconcile trade practices in line with international norms and lower trade barriers. The group also agreed to build on the complementarities and identify key growth sectors. The members also expressed concern over the debilitating global economic environment and how low rates of growth in advanced economies have affected developing economies through slower international trade and lesser FDI inflows and urged member nations to adopt measures, consistent with their WTO obligations to boost growth and development in the region. What is IORARC? IORARC is Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC) is an association of 20 member countries. The group came into being in March 1995 in Mauritius. Through it pass some of the most important energy transport routes from Middle East to South-East and East Asia, and securing these routes has become a global priority. Who are the 20 members? The IOR-ARC, which is the only pan-Indian ocean grouping, has 20 members, namely Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran,Kenya, Malaysia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman,Seychelles,Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. And there are six dialogue partners, namely China, Egypt,France,Japan, and
Britain, and the United States, and two observers, namely, the Indian Ocean Research Group and the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization. Objectives of IORARC: 1. To promote sustainable growth and balanced development of the region and Member States 2. To focus on those areas of economic cooperation which provide maximum opportunities for development, shared interest and mutual benefits 3. To promote liberalization, remove impediments and lower barriers towards a freer and enhanced flow of goods, services, investment, and technology within the Indian Ocean rim. What was Indias point at this conference? India called for a common maritime security enforcement regime and liberal visa regimes to boost trade and investment. India looked for deeper relationships with the member nations and intends to play an enhanced role on the high seas to boost trade without militarising the region. Scientists identify molecular mechanisms causing glaucoma July 12th, 2013 In an important finding, scientists have identified two molecular level mechanisms that lead to glaucoma. What is Glaucoma? It is often referred to as a silent eye disease is the second most common cause of blindness in the world. It is an eye disease that causes progressive damage to the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to deliver information to the brain. Causes of Glaucoma: Besides old age, several risk factors cause it family history, ethnic background, high intra-ocular pressure and high blood pressure. Long-term usage of steroids could also cause the disease. Ocular hypertension (increased pressure within the eye) is the most important risk factor in most glaucomas. Why Glaucoma is a more serious disease than Cataract? Unlike in cataract, which is the leading cause for blindness, loss of vision
caused by glaucoma cannot be regained by therapeutic intervention. What are the findings for Glaucoma? Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), who studied the molecular mechanism of glaucoma in collaboration with L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, found that mutations in certain genes are primarily responsible for glaucoma. Besides, environmental factors too contribute. One of the mutated genes causing glaucoma was OPTN which codes for protein optineurin. OPTN was one of the genes associated with glaucoma where intra-ocular pressure was not involved. An alteration in this gene (M98K) was earlier associated with glaucoma only in South Asian population. This alteration induces cell death in retinal ganglion cells. Scientists have also enhanced the understanding of the process of autophagy, which was essential to maintain healthy cells. For instance, they were able to check cell death by blocking the enhanced activity of autophagy using chemical inhibitors. How the findings on Glaucoma can help? Understanding the molecular mechanism would go a long way in devising strategies for treating and preventing further damage. Scientists believe that by arresting ganglion cell death, further damage can be arrested and residual vision saved even after the onset of glaucoma. Note: While Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in India, Glaucoma is fourth main cause. TAPI project: Countries agree on setting up a Company for its execution July 12th, 2013 Countries involved in the TAPI pipeline project- India, Pakistan,Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to establish a company for execution of the proposed project. They are expected to give it shape to by September 2013. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been appointed as legal-technical consultant, and it will soon identify a company which will drive the project. The company will be from a neutral
country. A protocol has also been inked in which the parties fixed the decision on the need to prepare founding documents and the registration of the TAPI Ltd. India has already approved setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to build the TAPI gas pipeline as the multinational firms did not come forward to build the project. Great Barrier Reef in poor health, admits Australia July 12th, 2013 As per the report released by the Environment Ministry of Australia, the conditions at the Great Barrier Reef were poor as it faces UNESCOthreats to downgrade its heritage status over concerns about pollution and development. What has been the major cause of decline in Great Barrier Reefs health? The report shows that the reefs health has declined since 2009 due to cyclones and floods, despite progress on reducing agricultural runoff. Despite decrease in nitrogen (by 7%); pesticides (by 15%); sediment (by 6%); and pollutants key to outbreaks of devastating crown-of-thorns starfish that prey on corals (by 13%), the reef is in trouble. As per the report, intense flooding in 2010-2011 followed by powerful cyclone Yasi had badly damaged the worlds largest coral reef, degrading water quality and depleting overall cover by 15% and full recovery of the reef will take decades. A study published in 2012 had revealed that coral cover had more than halved due to storms, predatory starfish outbreaks and bleaching linked to climate change over the past 27 years. Intense tropical cyclones were responsible for much of the damage, accounting for 48%, with the coral-feeding starfish linked to 42%. It is noticeable that UNESCO has warned to downgrade the reefs world heritage status to declare it at-risk in 2014 if there is no significant action on rampant coastal and resources development seen as a danger to
its survival. Experts highlight potential of cassava as biofuel crop July 12th, 2013 Experts participating in the International Conference on Tropical Roots and Tubers organized by the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) and the Indian Society for Root Crops (ISRC) have highlighted the evolving potential of cassava as feedstock for the production of bioethanol as fuel. What is Cassava? Cassava is a crop cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy, tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. It is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the worlds largest producer of cassava. How Cassava can be used as a bio-fuel? Cassava has a high energy content, low maintenance and ability to grow under a wide range of climatic conditions, cassava. All these qualities render it a potential for production of bio-ethanol. The technology for cassava alcohol, patented by the CTCRI in the 1980s, requires refinement for commercial scale production. Bioethanol based on the lignocellulosic residue of cassava and sweet potato could be combined with starchbased options to make biofuel production cost effective. The high productivity of cassava crop in Indiawould make production of bioethanol cost- competitive. The step to bring comparatively less fertile land in the semi-arid areas of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and high rainfall regions in the north-eastern region under cassava cultivation would ensure supply of raw material for ethanol production. India clarifies views to Sri Lanka on 13th Amendment July 15th, 2013 Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has clearly voiced
Indias view on the 13th Amendment of Sri Lankas Constitution emphasizing on the need for Colombo to fulfill its commitment to India and the international community regarding the same. Sri Lanka has also shared the development being taking place towards the implementation of the 13th Amendment. It has formed a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to reach a consensus on the implementation of the 13th Amendment. The PSC, which was constituted in June 2013, presently has 19 members, all from the ruling coalition United Peoples Freedom Alliance led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Sri Lankan President has explained the practical problems in devolving land and police powers to the provinces of a small country such as Sri Lanka and stressed that the structure that is implemented should apply and be acceptable to all parts of the country. The President also urged India to encourage the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to participate in the PSC and said the government was committed to taking the process forward despite obstacles. Challenges before PSC: Despite all efforts of the PSC, there is still a cynicism as some politicians doubt over the PSCs ability to arrive at a fair decision on the 13th Amendment. The United National Party (UNP), the main Opposition led by Ranil Wikremesinghe, has not nominated its representative to the PSC as yet. The TNA, an amalgam of Tamil parties which has significant support base in the primarily Tamilspeaking north of Sri Lanka, has opposed the PSC. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in the ruling alliance, which has been in favor of implementing the 13th Amendment in its original form, is not part of the PSC, either. What is the 13th Amendment of Sri Lankas Constitution? The Thirteenth Amendment (13A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka is amendment to the Constitution
of Sri Lanka which created Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka.This also made Sinhala and Tamil as the official language of the country and English as link language. Background: Signed on July 29, 1987 b/w India and Sri Lanka. The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord is also known as the Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord, after its architects Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene. On November 14, 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13thAmendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987 to establish provincial councils. EC mulls over to deploy EVMs with VVPAT July 15th, 2013 The Election Commission (EC) is cogitating on the option of deployingElectronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in some constituencies as it will deal with the herculean task of conducting Legislative Assembly polls in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram before the end of 2013. To implement this, the EC will have to amend the rules relating to EVMs and this has to be done by the Law and Justice Ministry based on the recommendations of the Commission. What is Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or Verified Paper Record (VPR)? Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or Verified Paper Record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system. A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results. VVPAT was jointly developed by Electronics Corporation of IndiaLimited (ECIL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the model had already undergone field trials twice. After the improvement made in the VVPAT, a voter who exercises his vote through the ballot unit of the EVM can physically see
the printout of the vote cast by him. The name of the candidate, his/her election symbol and his/her serial number in the ballot will be displayed in the printout, although this cannot be taken home by the voter. Telegram services in India come to an end July 14th, 2013 July 14, 2013 was the last day for the legendary 163-year old Telegram service in India. BSNL who had been providing this service terminated it on the account of losses in sustaining the service which had become redundant in the age of mobile phones and internet. Important point in the history of Telegram: It was Sir William Brooke OShaughnessy, a physician at the Calcutta Medical College, who went to Lord Dalhousie and spoke about the necessity of telegram services in 1848. The work to lay telegraph lines began in November 1850 b/w Alipore Telecom Factory in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and the Diamond Harbour Post Office. The service was declared open for general public in February 1955. Study reveals congenital anomalies linked to consanguine marriages July 12th, 2013 A study conducted in the U.K. throws light over the suspicion those marriages b/w blood relations might lead to health issues for the child. The study, in a detailed analysis of the issue involving over 11,000 children, born out of consanguineous marriages, revealed congenital anomalies in 386 of them. This figure of 3% is in contrasts with the 1.6% in children born of out of non-blood-relations unions. The researchers termed the babies analyzed under the study as Born in Bradford to obtain these results. Bradford is a small area in the UK where Pakistani Muslims constitute 16.8 per cent of the population. A close knit group, they practice consanguinity; 75% of them marry first cousins. What can be the possible defects in babies born through consanguine marriages? These babies could have a multiplicity of congenital problems. Heart problems top the list, followed by nervous disorders, limb anomalies and so forth.
Why problems occur in babies born through consanguine marriages ? The problem in such close relative marriages surfaces when one of the partners carries a defect in any of the genes associated with some form of illness. When a person marries within the community with one who may also have such a family defect, the child inherits two copies of this faulty gene, and thus has the defect. But when a person marries outside the community, he/she bring in genes from a much larger gene pool, and the odds that the child will inherit the problem reduce remarkably. India, Maldives and Sri Lanka ink Indian Ocean security agreement July 17th, 2013 India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have signed a tripartite pact on maritime cooperation to secure sea routes in the Indian Ocean region. The three nations will share capacities and information to address threats to maritime security such as piracy, terrorism and gunrunning in the Indian Ocean and to pursue sustainable development of maritimeenvironment. The agreement was signed at a meeting on Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Egypt issue arrest warrant against Muslim Brotherhood leader July 17th, 2013 Egypts current leadership has issued a warrant for the arrest of the supreme leader of Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie and nine other leading Islamists on the charger of instigating violence in the opposition of the military coup which led ouster of President Mohamed Morsy. The violence killed 54 people of which most were Morsys supporters. The military already has j ailed five Brotherhood leaders, including Mr. Badies powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shaiter, and shut down its media outlets. Members of the Brotherhood and other Islamists have denounced the overthrow of Mr. Morsy and have refused offers by the military-backed interim leadership to join any transition plan for a new government. They are demanding reinstatement of Mr. Morsys regime. The military-backed interim President, Adly Mansour, issued a fast-track timetable for the transition. His
declaration set out a seven-month timetable for elections but also a shortened, temporary constitution laying out the division of powers in the meantime. Reactions from other Gulf nations over ouster of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have welcomed the development in Egypt. The two nations, both antagonists of Mr. Morsys Brotherhood, celebrated his ouster by lavishing the cash-strapped Egyptian government with promises of $8 billion in grants, loans and urgently needed gas and oil. Kuwait also promised to offer an aid package worth $4 billion. The donations effectively step in for Mr. Morsys Gulf ally, Qatar, a supporter of the Brotherhood that gave his government several billion in aid during his year in office. Latvia gets approval to join Eurozone July 15th, 2013 The small Baltic nation of Latvia has been given approval from its European partners to become the 18th member of the eurozone from 2014. The ECOFIN council which is composed of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the European Unions 28 member states has given nod to the countrys euro membership. It had been a long journey for the former Soviet state since it entered the EU in 2004. Why Latvia intends to join Eurozone? Latvia is hopeful that entering the eurozone will bring with it the country a number of benefits like lowere interest rates, lower currency conversion costs and increased foreign investment. What are the challenges ahead for Latvia for joining Eurozone? Latvia came out from a crisis in 2008-09 to become the EUs fastestgrowing economy, having recorded GDP growth of more than 5% consecutively in both 2011 and 2012. However, Latvian leadership has a major challenge of convincing the people of the benefits of joining the eurozone. There is a widespread skepticism and distrust in the public on the positives of Euro as their new currency as
they have witnessed the crisis of Greece and Cyprus and not long ago the Euro was also on the verge of disintegrating. Hazem el-Beblawi is Egypt interim Premier July 15th, 2013 Liberal economist Hazem el-Beblawi has been appointed as Egypts interim Prime Minister by Egypts interim President Adly Mansour. The President has also appointed Nobel-laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as Deputy President with responsibility for foreign affairs. Mr. Mansour who was appointed to the post after a recent military coup overthrew President Mohamed Morsy has declared that changes would be made to the Constitution, which would be put to referendum, paving the way for parliamentary elections early in 2014 India, Japan to strengthen defense relationship July 17th, 2013 In a recent meeting between Indias National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and visiting Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of DefenceAkinori Eto, both the nations discussed on the possibilities of expanding the defence ties, which will include joint development and production of defence equipment. It must be noted that Japan, which normally has strict rules prohibitinginternational trade in defence equipment, has offered to sell India the ShinMaywa US-2, a highly sophisticated amphibious plane. Current defence ties between India and Japan: The current defence collaboration between the India and Japan primarily involves joint exercises, innumerable rounds between the Coast Guards and plans for an expanded second-ever interaction between the navies later this year. Why Japan is strict on defence equipment trade? In 1967 Japan voluntarily gave up international trade in defence equipment under the Three Principles on Arms Exports. These principles are: 1. No exports of arms to communist countries
2. No exports of arms to countries under U.N. sanctions 3. No exports of arms to countries engaged in international conflicts. Nine years later, Japan added a ban on arms-related facilities and technologies to the list. What are the changes in Japanese defence equipment sales policy now? Now, Japan has relaxed some of the defence equipment sale norms. India intends to take the advantage of this opportunity and could become the second country after the U.S. to gain from this. Australia and some European countries are already serenading Japan after it announced some exemptions in overseas transfer of defence equipment in 2011. Instead of simply buying the finished product, both sides will be looking at transfer of technology of some of the parts to Indian companies. The intention is to replicate a Maruti-Suzuki kind of venture. India feels the move to provide some of the inputs from India would benefit both sides because costs are high in Japan. AERB gives not to Kudankulam first Unit July 17th, 2013 The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given green signal for controlled fission process or First Approach to Criticality (FAC) for the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. The FAC is a significant step towards the starting of power generation. The approval was given after a thorough review of associated safety aspects. This clearance for the FAC, however, does not mean the commissioning of the plant. Many low-power tests will have to be done to verify the conformance of the reactors characteristics to design objectives. The AERB would review the results of the tests before giving a go-ahead for the next stage of commissioning, which would follow a phased increase in the power level of the reactor. Survey to study voter behavior in LS elections in Tamil Nadu July 17th, 2013 The Election Commission of India will conduct KABP (Knowledge, Attitude,
Behaviour and Practice of Voters) Baseline Survey in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies ofTamil Nadu. The survey which will be conducted by the State Elections Department will seek to determine what motivates electors to exercise their franchise and what deters them. It will In each constituency, one Assembly segment will be chosen through random sampling. One hundred and twenty five electors will be interviewed. Totally, 4,875 persons will be covered. The baseline survey is part of the national programme of the Election Commission and the findings of the proposed survey will be useful in designing and planning the Commissions campaign of information,education and communication (IEC) at the time of the polls, due for 2014. Baseline and endline surveys are part of the Commissions programme of Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), which is being given greater thrust after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. One of the major reasons behind the launch of the programme was thatat the all-India level, 30 crore electors did not cast votes in 2009.[However, in Tamil Nadu, the turnout was high with about 73%]. RBI directs oil firms to buy dollar from single PSU bank July 17th, 2013 In the current scenario of continuous down slide of the rupee against the dollar, the Reserve Bank of India, in a bid to cub this volatility, has ordered state-owned oil companies to purchase their dollar requirement from a single public sector bank for every daily transaction. State oil refiners, who are the biggest buyers of dollars, agreed to implement the RBI order with immediate effect. The RBI issued orders to Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Mangalore Refinery to stop seeking quotes from several banks for their $8-8.5 billion of monthly transactional requirement of U.S. dollar.
Why RBI doesnt want oil firms to seek multiple quotes for their dollar requirements? As felt by the RBI, Oil firms seeking multiple quotes for their dollar requirement adds to speculation on demand for the dollar and volatility in the local unit. The RBI has, therefore, asked oil firms to buy dollars from a single bank at their published reference rate. Union govt approves proposal for Guwahati metro July 18th, 2013 The Union government has approved the proposal for the Guwahati metro rail proposal. The Centre has sanctioned Rs. 25 crore for performing feasibility studies for the proposed project. The project, to be carried out in three phases and covering a total distance of 65 km, is estimated to cost Rs.14,000 crore. Veteran actor Pran passed away July 18th, 2013 Legendary Bollywood actor and Dadasaheb Phalake Award winner Pran Krishan Sikand (83), popularly known as Pran, passed away. About Pran Krishan Sikand: Born: February 12, 1920 in Ballimaran, Kotgarh Old Delhi, into a wealthy Punjabi family. He won his first role in Dalsukh M. Pancholis Punjabi film Yamla Jat (1940). Did hits such as as Half Ticket , Ram aur Shyam , Zanjeer ,Johny Mera Naam and Karz. Played roles in more than 350 films from 1942 2007 and was popular as a movie villain and character actor in Hindi cinema. Won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967, 1969 and 1972. Honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Awarded as the Villain of the Millennium by Stardust in 2000. The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in2013 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. In News: Solar Impulse July 17th, 2013 Solar Impulse has been in news recently for completing a transcontinental trip across the US, despite a rip in the fabric of one wing.
Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range solar powered aircraft project developed at the cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne. The aircraft took off from Mountain View, California on May 3, 2013 and took a coast-to-coast journey across the domestic United States before touching down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on July 6, 2013. Who were the pilots for Solar Impulse? Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg and fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard piloted the aircraft. The men had taken turns flying the spindly, long-winged plane across the country. Features of Solar Impulse: Powered by 12,000 solar cells Flies in the dark by reaching high altitudes during the day and gliding downward over long distances by night Uses no fossil fuels Flying speed of around 70 kilometers per hour Runs on 4 electric propellers powered by solar cells mounted on the planes 63-meter wingspan Drawbacks of Solar Impulse: Tiny cockpit Vulnerability to turbulence Lack of a toilet Future Plans for Solar Impulse: The current aircraft model, the HB-SIA, is soon to be phased out as the Swiss team prepares test flights in 2014 of the second-generation aircraft, the HB-SIB. The next plane is expected to be 10% larger, with more power, reliability, an auto-pilot function and a toilet so that pilots can make the four to six-day long trips that will be part of its journey across the world in 2015. Ireland passes legislation allowing abortion July 17th, 2013 After intense two-day debate, the Irish Parliament passed a watered-down legislation allowing abortion under limited circumstances. It would now need the approval from the Upper House. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, Ireland:
The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 would permit abortion if the mothers life is in danger. It would also extend to women who are deemed suicidal if refused abortion. In effect, the bill simply gives effect to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling allowing doctors to perform abortion to save a mothers life. Successive governments failed to legislate on it because of stiff opposition from the aggressive pro-life lobby. Background: It can be recalled that due to lack of such provisions Savita Halappanavar, a young Indian dentist, died in an Irish hospital last October after being refused abortion despite apparent risk to her life. An inquiry found that she could have been saved if doctors had agreed to her request for termination. The incident was followed by widespread outrage and protest. About Savita Halappanavar: Savita Halappanavars death has led to a widespread protests in Ireland and a call to re-look at the abortion laws. She was 31 year old dentist originally from Belgaum,India who moved to Ireland in 2008. She died on October 28, 2012 in Galway, Ireland. Her death led to widespread protests, in Ireland, India, England and other countries and a call to re-look at the abortion laws. She suffered miscarriage when she was 17 weeks pregnant. Her husband claimed that the University College Hospital Galway where she was admitted denied her an abortion because a fetal heartbeat was present, despite the fetus being declared nonviable. This led to septicemia (blood poisoning), multiple organ failure and her death. The fetal remains were eventually removed but too much time had passed. Why Savita Halappanavar was denied abortion at the right time when she needed it? Under Irish law on abortion, and Offences against the Person Act 1861 abortion is illegal in Ireland.
As a result Irish women have to travel to UK each year to undergo abortion. Abortion in the Republic of Ireland is illegal unless it occurs as the result of a medical intervention performed to save the life of the mother. However, the availability of abortion services can be even more restricted in the absence of a readily available method of determining the circumstances in which an abortion might be lawfully obtained. However, a judgment of the Irish Supreme Court in 1992, commonly known as the X case, permits abortions where the life of the mother is at risk, including from suicide. Abortion is a controversial issue in Irish politics and five national referendums have been held on the topic in the last 30 years. Reactions over Death of Savita Halappanavar: Her death led to protests by local community, and Indian community in particular. In India, the Ministry of External Affairs of India summoned the Irish ambassador over the issue. Human rights group Amnesty observed that the death of the Indian Dentist illustrates gap in Irish law and asked Irish government to amend its law on abortion in the with internationalhuman rights law Prominent gastroenterologist Rangabashyam passed away July 19th, 2013 Renowned surgical gastroenterologist, surgeon and teacher, N. Rangabashyam, passed away. About Dr. Rangabashyam Dr. Rangabashyam was a groundbreaker in the field of surgical gastroenterology and proctology that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the colon, rectum, and anus in India. Celebrated for his achievements by reputed institutions across the world, Dr. Rangabashyam started his distinguished career with a brief work in general surgery at Thanjavur. He joined Madras Medical College where he was appointed Professor of Gastroenterology. Unique Achievements of Dr. Rangabashyam: He was the first person to start a separate department for Surgical Gastroenterology in
Thanjavur, and later became its head. He also started the first M.Ch. (Surgical Gastroenterology) degree course in India. He was the first to start ostomy department at MMC, enterostomal therapy diploma for nurses. He was the first to introduce staplers in surgery in the country, perform laparostomies, and one of the pioneers of hepatobiliary surgery in the country. He made major contributions in the field of colitis, bowel cancer and other gastro-intestinal cancers, portal hypertension and bowel disease in the tropics. He contributed chapters to the Oxford Textbook of Surgery and in the Recent Advances in Surgery series. IOE3-Kanban: 100-megapixel camera developed by China July 19th, 2013 What is IOE3-Kanban? IOE3-Kanban, is the name of the camera developed by the Institute of Optics and Electronics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAC). Developers claim that it has a 100megapixel resolution which makes itChinas highest pixel camera. What are the unique features of IOE3-Kanban? The camera is capable of producing images with 10,240 x 10,240 pixels camera and can used to produce high-resolution imaging in the fields of aerial mapping, disaster monitoring and intelligent transportation systems. Intelligent transportation system is aimed at providing innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management. The camera is small and light, with its widest part measuring only 19.3 cm and it can be used at temperatures ranging from minus 20 degree C to 55 degree C. What is a megapixel ? 1 megapixel = 1,000,000 pixels. Megapixel is a term used not only for the number of pixels in an image, but also to express the number of image sensor elements of digital cameras or the number of display elements of digital displays. PDP victorious in Bhutan General Assembly polls
July 19th, 2013 Led by Tshering Tobgay, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has registered their victory in the polls to the General Assembly of Bhutan. It won 32 out of 47 seats, while the outgoing party, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT), managed to retain the remaining seats in the election. The focus of the PDPs election campaign in the last few days was thestrained India-Bhutan relationswhere it laid the blame for withdrawal of subsidy on LPG and kerosene among other things, on the mishandling by the DPT. Founder of Bose Corporation, Amar Bose passed away July 19th, 2013 Amar Gopal Bose (83), Indian-American founder, Chairman and academic behind the revolutionary sound systems of Bose Corporation, passed away in Wayland, Massachusetts. About Amar Gopal Bose: Born on November 2, 1929, in Philadelphia, to an American schoolteacher and Noni Gopal Bose, a freedom fighter and Calcutta University physicist who fled to the U.S. in 1920 after being imprisoned for protesting British rule in India. Did his bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Inst itute of Technology. Founded Bose Corporation which brought sound systems with high-end acoustic features. Invented stereo loudspeakers that would reproduce, in a domestic setting, the dominantly reflected sound field that characterizes the listening space of the audience in a concert hall. Later psychoacoustics became the hallmark of his company. Was an Indian American academic and entrepreneur, an electrical engineer and sound engineer. Was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). What is Psychoacoustics ? Psychoacoustics is the scientific study of sound perception i.e. a branch of science studying the psychological and physiological responses associated with sound (including speech and music).
Panel on manufacturing takes measures to boost the sector July 19th, 2013 A high-level panel on manufacturing has cleared the Rs.7,555-crore project to build 90-seater aircraft. It also decided to increase steel production capacity to 300 million tones through Special Purpose Vehicles of Central Public Sector Enterprises with states. It was also decided to enhance export of textiles by 30% in 2013. In fiscal 2012-13, textiles exports stood at about $34 billion. The panel focused on giving a fillip to creating domestic manufacturing capabilities in advanced materials, alloys and composites. Indias 90-seater aircraft project (Joint effort of: HAL + CSIR + DRDO): The project to build indigenous 90-seater aircraft has been on anvil for years. The design and development of the aircraft is estimated to cost Rs.4,355 crore, and series production would entail a further Rs.3,200 crore. The aircraft is to be built through a collaborative venture of stateowned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and DRDO. Eminent Carnatic vocalist Nookala passed away July 19th, 2013 Eminent Carnatic vocalist Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana, a recipient of Padma Bhushan, passed away. About Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana: Born: 1923 at Anakapalle in Andhra Pradesh, he was famously called Mahamahopadhyaya by his students and music lovers. As a child he was a prodigy with theatrical tastes. Learned to play violin from renowned musician Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu. Later, he was influenced with Pinakapani and took up Carnatic vocal. Honors for Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana: Padma Bhushan Asthana Vidwan for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Kanchi Kamakoti, Sringeri Sankara, Pushapagiri
Peetham and the Ganapati Sachidananda Ashram. Sangeetha Kala Acharya by the Madras Music Academy after his demonstration of Pancharatna Kirtanas of Thyagaraja. Indian oil companies considering Irans gas offer July 19th, 2013 India is thinking over Irans offer of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) in the energy sector, including one for developing the prolific Farzad B gasfield in the Farsi block of the Persian Gulf. This is the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran has offered three Indian oil companies ONGC Videsh Limited, Oil India Limited and Indian Oil Corporation PSCs at a time of diminishing crude purchases by India. The offer marks a departure from Irans earlier practice of offering Indian companies 15% fixed returns under a buy-back arrangement with the national oil company of Iran and also indicates towards Irans intention of improving ties with India. The PSCs offer the Indian companies a guaranteed share of production. However, India would have to analyse the advantages and disadvantages before accepting the offer, because of the sanctions the U.S. and the European Union imposed on Iran, primarily aiming its oil industry, to pressurize Tehran to give up its nuclear programme. In past: 2011: Indian companies opened talks with Iran for developing the gas field. But a subsequent meeting did not materialise because India was apprehensive of the impact of the sanctions on its companies. The impact of sanctions led to cut down in Irans crude supplies to India in the past few years. May 2013: Iran had offered the Indian firms PSCs to increase investment in the upstream sector. As a matter of fact, Iran offered to ship gas to India in liquefied form through Oman. Iran does not have the technology to liquefy gas, so it agreed to do the process in Oman. During 2012-13, Indias import plummeted by over 26.5% to 13.3
million tonnes from 18.1 million tonnes the year before. In 2012-13, Iranian share was 7.2% of Indias oil imports, down from 10.5% the previous year. Farzad B Gas Field - Indian exploration in Iran Since 2009, the Indian companies are negotiating with Iran for developing the Farzad B gasfield. As per initial estimates, it contains 21.68 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas, with recoverable reserves of 12.8 tcf. The investment in exploration is put at $5.5 billion, with an extra $8 billion-$9 billion for developing the field and building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, and for transport. This gas could go directly to India as LNG. Supreme Court: Persons in lawful custody not entitled to vote/contest elections July 19th, 2013 Upholding a 2004 judgement of Patna High court, the Supreme Court has held that persons in lawful custody whether convicted in a criminal case or otherwise cannot contest polls. However, the ruling does not apply to those on bail. What is the matter? The Chief Election Commissioner and others had filed a appeals against a Patna High Court judgement that in 2004 had held that when a person in custody is disqualified from voting he or she must be disqualified from contesting in elections too. Calling the High Courts decision right the apex court held that a person who has no right to vote by virtue of the provisions of Section 62 (5) of the Representation of the People Act 1951 is not an elector and is therefore not qualified to contest the election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State. Besides, the court said A right to vote is a statutory right, the Law gives it, the Law takes it away. Persons convicted of crime are kept away from elections to the Legislature, whether to State Legislature or Parliament and all other public elections. The Law temporarily takes away the power of such persons to participate in elections. To vote is a statutory right. It is a privilege
to vote, which privilege may be taken away. In that case, the elector would not be qualified, even if his name is on the electoral rolls. Jharkhand: Hemant Soren government wins trust vote July 19th, 2013 Hemant Soren (37) has been sworn in as Chief Minister of the coalition government led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Soren, son of JMM chief Shibu Soren, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Syed Ahmed after President Pranab Mukherjee revoked the nearly six-month-long Central rule in the State. The President had imposed the rule exercising the power from Article 356 (1) of the Constitution after the resignation of Chief Minister Arjun Munda (BJP) in January 2013 when the party was reduced to minority after the JMM had withdrew its support. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren won the vote on confidence motion in the state Assembly President launches Kisaan Portal- aimed at reaching Information, Advisories, Services to 12 Crore Farmers July 19th, 2013 President Pranab Mukherjee launched a Kisaan Portal for sending SMS through mobile phones to the farmers across the nation. This initiative will enable the farmers to take informed decision pertaining to different aspects of farming and weather forecasts. It has been set up to spread information, advisories and services through SMS to more than 12o million farmers across the country. To access the service, farmers will have to register themselves by calling Kisaan Call Centre on the toll free number 1800-180-1551 or through the web portal. What are the key benefits of the SMS Advisories from Kisaan Portal? The key advantages include: It will help farmers in taking informed decisions relating to different aspects of farming including crop production and marketing, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries. The farmers can customize the SMS service to get advisories relevant to
their specific requirements. Weather forecast SMS and alerts will enable farmers in planning, farming operations effectively and taking the best suited action to deal with adverse weather conditions. Advisories on disease/pest outbreak will also assist the farmers to take quick actions to safeguard their crops and animals. Advisories on best practices, such as selection of better suited crop variety/ animal breed, will lead to better farm productivity and enhanced income to the farmers. Farmers will be informed about the market which will give the farmer better bargaining power which in turn help farmers in taking better decisions about sale of his produce. The SMS service will also include soil test results, selection of fertilizer and its dosage, and also information on various programmes so that farmers can make the best use of assistance and know-how being made available by the Government. Zc(3900): Scientists find evidence of existence of a new four-quark particle July 19th, 2013 Particle physicists performing experiments at the Belle particle detector in Japanand in BESIII detector in Chinahave found evidence of the existence of a four-quark particle namedZc(3900). About Zc(3900): Composed of two quarks and two antiquarks. A hadron, a type of subatomic particle made of quarks, believed to be the first tetraquark that has been observed experimentally. A decay product of the previously observed anomalous Y(4260) particle. In turn decays into a charged pion () and a J/ meson. This is consistent with the Zc(3900) containing four or more quarks. What are Quarks? A quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. Due to a phenomenon known as color
confinement, quarks are never directly observed or found in isolation; they can be found only within hadrons, such as baryons (of which protons and neutrons are examples), and mesons.For this reason, much of what is known about quarks has been drawn from observations of the hadrons themselves. What are the differnt types of Quarks? There are six types of quarks flavors: up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top. Up and down quarks have the lowest masses of all quarks. The heavier quarks rapidly change into up and down quarks through a process of particle decay. Because of this, up and down quarks are generally stable and the most common in the universe, whereas strange, charm, top, and bottom quarks can only be produced in high energy collisions (such as those involving cosmic rays and in particle accelerators). Quarks have various intrinsic properties, including electric charge, color charge, mass, and spin. Quarks are the only elementary particles in the Standard Model of particle physics to experience all four fundamental interactions, also known as fundamental forces(electromagnetism, gravitation, strong interaction, and weak interaction), as well as the only known particles whose electric charges are not integer multiples of the elementary charge. Quarks have three kinds of charges which are characterized by a quantum number called colour (as three kinds of primary colours exist). What is Quantum Chromodynamics or QCD? The theory describing the strong interaction of quarks is called Quantum Chromodynamics or QCD. What is antiquark? For every quark flavor there is a corresponding type of antiparticle, known as anantiquark, that differs from the quark only in that some of its properties have equal magnitude but opposite sign. 40% of global population is online: ITU July 19th, 2013
As per the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), nearly 40% of the global population or 2.7 billion people are already online in 2013 whileIndia still stands far with around 13% Internet penetration with roughly 160 million users. As per ITU: The percentage of people online in developing and developed world is 31% and 77% respectively. Europe, with 75% Internet penetration, is the region with the highest Internet penetration rate. The US, with 61% penetration, is positioned at the second spot amongst regions. Africa has nearly 16% of its citizens online only half the penetration rate of Asia-Pacific, where one out of every three (33%) citizens has access to the Internet. More men than women have access to the Internet, but the distinction is not sharp. Globally, 37% of all women are online, compared with 41% of all men. The gender gap is more marked in the developing world, where 16% less women than men use the Internet, compared with only 2% less women than men in the developed world. 41% or nearly 750 million households are connected to the Net by 2013. Nearly half of these households are in the developing world, where household Internet penetration is close to 28%. 78% of households in the developed world are online. In 2013, around 1.1 billion homes globally, of which 90% are in the developing world, are yet to be connected to the Internet. Europe and Africa are the regions with the highest and lowest household Internet penetrations respectively. About 77% households in Europe in contrast to extreme low of 7% in Africa. With an annual growth rate of 27%, Africas Internet penetration grew fastest between 2009 and 2013. India is expected to double its Internet users from 160 million to 330 million by 2015.
Indias National Telecom Policy ideates for 175 million broadband subscribers by 2017 and 600 million by 2020. RBI calibrates MSF to ease rupee volatility July 21st, 2013 In the wake of continuing depreciation of rupee disturbing the monetary and fiscal calculations, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), fine-tuned the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate to 10.5% from previous 8.25%. This will be 300 basis points above the policy repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF). The increase comes into effect with immediate effect. As a consequence of the increase in the MSF rate, the Bank Rate also stands adjusted to 10.25%. As per RBI, the overall allocation of funds under the LAF would be limited to 1% of the net demand and time liabilities of the banking system. This is estimated to be around Rs.75,000 crore. What is MSF? Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) allows banks to borrow funds from the RBI at a rate which is 100 basis points above the LAF (or the repo rate), against pledging the approved government securities. How will RBIs caliberation of MST to ease Rupee volatilit y impact the market? The increase in MSF is expected to make the loans costlier. RBI penalizes 22 banks for violating KYC norms July 21st, 2013 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fined 22 banks by imposing penalty for violating Know-Your-Customer (KYC) norms and anti-money laundering guidelines. The banks who have been fined include SBI, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and some other banks all of whom have been fined Rs.3 crore each. The central bank also issued cautionary letters to seven other banks including Citibank, Standard Chartered and Barclays as no violation of serious nature by them was established. The violations by the public sector banks were revealed in a sting operation by online portal, Cobrapost.
As per the RBI, the investigation against the fined banks did not reveal any prima facie evidence of money laundering. The banks who have been penalized for violating Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering norms includes the countrys largest bank, State Bank of India, and other p ublic sector banks such as PunjabNational Bank, Bank of India and Canara Bank. Earlier, three new generation private banks were slapped with stiff fines by the central bank whose investigations followed an expose by online portal Cobrapost. The latest list includes the relatively new Yes Bank as well as some old private banks such as Lakshmi Vilas Bank. Scientist engineer Functional blood vessels in mice made from stem cells July 21st, 2013 Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and Harvard Stem Institute, Harvard University have been able to engineer stable and functional blood vessels in mice using induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells taken from skin of healthy people and those with Type I diabetes. The blood vessels lasted for 280 days in the brain of the mice. How was the functional blood vessel created? Scientist used induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells taken from skin of healthy people and those with Type I diabetes. These cells produced vascular precursor cells endothelial precursor cells and mesenchymal precursor cells from iPS cells. While endothelial cells form the inner lining of blood vessels, mesenchymal cells provide structural stability. Then they were grown in a dish in a medium which provided the nutriments and suitable environment. After the cells attained a certain optimum growth stage forming an engineered construct, it was then transferred onto the brain and dorsal skin of the mice and visualized with a microscope. It was also subcutaneously injected into the backs of the animals. The mice with subcutaneously injected construct were sacrificed (killed) after two
weeks. Even within this short period, it had formed blood vessels and connected with the animals vessels. The presence of mouse RBCs in the engineered vessels is proof that blood had flowed through them. How would it help in future? This work is proof of concept demonstration that vascular precursor cells endothelial precursor cells and mesenchymal precursor cells from iPS cells can be used to engineer blood vessel. This study holds great promise to restore blood flow, especially in the case of Type II diabetic patients with ischemia in the foot. British Government decorates Krishna Menons London home with blue plaque July 20th, 2013 In commemoration to V.K. Krishna Menons long and eventful association with London, the British government has decided to put up an English Heritage blue plaque at the house where he lived when he first moved to the city. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel are among the other Indian leaders previously honoured by English Heritage. Who was V.K. Krishna Menon? (Born: May 3, 1896, died October 6, 1974) Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon was an Indian nationalist, diplomat and statesman. He was Indias first High Commissioner to the UK and later became Defence Minister of India from 1957 to 1962. Menon in the UK While his stay in the UK, he served as a Labour councillor for the Borough of St. Pancras in 1930s, and is still remembered for introducing travelling libraries and childrens corners. During the Second World War, he served as an air warden around Camden Square, where he lived at the time, and in 1955 St. Pancras conferred on him the Freedom of the Borough, the only other person so honoured being George Bernard Shaw. He was described by the former Labour Prime Minister, James Callaghan as the embodiment of the movement within Britain for Indias freedom. Menon in India: Menon was noted for his eloquence, brilliance, and forceful, highly abrasive
persona. He inspired widespread adulation and fervent detraction in both India and the West; to his supporters, he was an unapologetic champion of India in the face of Western imperialism. Returning to India, he was repeatedly elected to both houses of the Indian parliament from constituencies as varied as Bombay, Bengal, and his native Kerala, and served as Minister of Defense, overseeing the modernization of the Indian military and development of the Indian military-industrial complex, and spearheading the Indian annexation of Goa. He resigned in the wake of the Sino-Indian war, following allegations of Indias military unpreparedness, but remained counselor to Nehru, Member of Parliament and elder statesman until his death. As as Minister of Defense, overseeing the modernisation of the Indian military and development of the Indian military-industrial complex, and spearheading the Indian annexation of Goa. He resigned in the wake of the Sino-Indian war, following allegations of Indias military unpreparedness, but remained counselor to Nehru, member of parliament and elder statesman until his death. Who are the other Indian leaders honored with Blue Plaque previously? Other Indian leaders namely Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel have been honoured by this English Heritage, previously. Why is the significance of blue plaque? The Blue Plaque Scheme of London was founded in 1866 is run by the William Ewart MP and the Royal Society of Arts to commemorates the association between the notable figures of past and Britains famous residents. More than 760 plaques have been placed across London by now. It is a uniquely successful means of connecting people and place. The Royal Society launched the scheme in 1867 with the unveiling of a commemorative tablet for Lord Byron. Rs 25,000 crore window opened by RBI to help Mutual Fund industry July 21st, 2013 A special borrowing window of Rs 25,000 crore was opened by the RBI to
help mutual funds industry over liquidity problems. The crisis occurred due to different merger schemes in the industry and profit booking. This facility will be made available for a brief period only. A special 3-day REPO auction was decided to be conducted by RBI under which banks can raise funds upto to Rs 25,000 crore at 10.25 per cent for on lending to the mutual funds. In 2012-13 the mutual fund industry lost more than 36 lakh investors. During the last 3 financial years, the mutual fund industry had lost over 15 lakh new investor accounts. In April-June 2013-14 as per the latest SEBI data, Mutual Funds lost 10 lakh investors in terms of individual accounts or folios. Midday Meal to be monitored by a Committee formed by HRD Ministry July 21st, 2013 A committee has been set up by the centre to review the accomplishment of its flagship midday meal scheme and supervise better quality of food served, effectiveness of the supply chain and guaranteed hygienic standards. A programme headed by HRD Ministry had alerted 12 Bihar districts after flaws were found in executing the scheme. The committee would comprise of minister and 20 members from the government side and as well as from the civil society group. Helicopter Shot discoverer Santosh Lal, a friend of M.S.Dhoni dies July 21st, 2013 Mahendra Singh Dhonis childhood friend Santosh Lal , a first -class cricketer who invented helicopter shot passed away. What is the Helicopter Shot? It is an unorthodox cricket shot played by a batsman. The shot was popularized by Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni. While attempting this shot, the batsman digs a yorker ferociously with the bat forming a whipping arc in the follow through. With the passage of time players have developed different cricketing techniques to score runs. By a successful Helicopter Shot a batsman can hit a Six on a yorker.
NSE embarks to top slot as largest bourse globally for equity trades July 21st, 2013 As per World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has again embarked its position as the worlds largest bourse in terms of volumes in equity trades. Even after a fall of 9.7% in its equity trades last month NSE registered a total of 112 million trades and thus now making it the worlds top exchange on this parameter among the 50 bourses listed with WFE. NSE was also ranked first in terms of equity trades for the first half of 2013 with a total of 711.8 mn trades. BSE, stood at the 8th place with 24.4 mn trades on its platform. Although the total number of listed companies is much larger in case of the BSE, the exchange lags behind NSE significantly in terms of volume and value of trades. Bengaluru International Airport renamed as Kempe Gowda International Airport July 21st, 2013 Union Cabinet approved the new name for Bangalores BengaluruInternational Airport (BIA) to Kempe Gowda International Airport Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is the one and the only airport serving the Bangalore region. It is owned by Bengaluru International Airport Pvt. Limited (BIAL) a majority of 74% held by GVK Group, Zurich Airport and Siemens Projects, along with two government bodies,Infrastructure Development Corporation KSIIDC and the Karnataka State Industrial. Who was Hiriya Kempe Gowda or Bengalooru Kempe Gowda? Hiriya Kempe Gowda (also Kempe Gowda I or Bengalooru Kempe Gowda) was a ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire. Considered to be the founder of the metropolis of Bangalore, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Kempe Gowda was a well educated and successful ruler. Famous for his reformist thinking, he led the foundations of a modern city with successful planning and building the present city building many temples and water reservoirs in
Bangalore. One of his social reforms was to disallow the custom of cutting-off the last two fingers of the left hand of the married women during Bandi Devaru, an important custom of Morasu Vokkaligas. Tears You Apart Launch of National Tobacco Control Campaign July 21st, 2013 A nation-wide National Tobacco Control Campaign called Tears you apart has been launched by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Objective: To raise awareness about the danger to the life of tens of millions of Indians who consume smokeless tobacco every day. As per the survey conducted by Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 21 crore Indians make use of smokeless tobacco. Smokeless tobacco includes: paan masala, gutkha, zarda, khaini and paan with tobacco. Concerned authorities need to take action immediately else the death toll could increase to more than eighty lakh by 2030. Around 90% of the oral cancers are caused by smokeless tobacco. As per the estimation nearly 8-9 lakh people die every year due to diseases caused by tobacco. Implementation of the stated regulation which prohibit production, storage and sale of pan masala and gutkha containing tobacco have been issued by 33 states/UTs. Plan scheme Development Communication and Information Dissemination approved for 12th five-year plan July 21st, 2013 The plan scheme Development Communication and Information Dissemination with an expenditure of Rs.630 Crore. Objective: To raise awareness among the people of the benefits in a variety of Government schemes. The media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will implement this scheme through different modes of i.e. Public Information Campaigns, people to people
contact , outdoor publicity, press tours, electronic and print media, conducted tours, live art andculture shows, special outreach programmes etc. An Uncertain Glory: India and its Con tradiction A book by Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen released July 21st, 2013 In their book An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradiction, Amratya Sen along with Jean Drze, have presented a view of the conditions of contemporary India with a collection of the wealth of revealing data. The book presents the booming maintenance of the worlds largest democracy and achievements of India since independence. They have also discussed about the prevalent flaws in the development strategy of the nation. Major focus is over the role of human capabilities as an end in them and as a means of further progress. About the Authors Jean Drze An Indian citizen since 2002 and lives in India since then Taught at the London School of Economics (LSE) and the DelhiSchool of Economics (DSE). Currently a visiting Professor at Allahabad University. Co-authored Amartya Sen in books named Hunger and Public Action and India: Development and Participation Co-author of the Public Report on Basic Education in India Amaryta Sen An Indian economist and philosopher Wn Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1998 for making contribution to welfare economics and social choice theory A professor at Thomas W. Lamont University A Professor of Philosophy and Economics, at Harvard University. Some of the books authored by him include: The Argumentative IndianInequality reexamined The Idea of Justice
Poverty and Famines Commodities and Capabilities Hunger and Republic Action Development as Freedom Choice, Welfare and Measurement Rationality and Freedom Identity and Violence the illusion of Destiny Bhim Sain Bassi, the next Police Commissioner of Delhi July 22nd, 2013 Neeraj Kumar who will be retiring on this month end will be replaced by Bhim Sain Bassi, a 1977 batch Indian Police Service officer as the next Police Commissioner of Delhi. Mr. Bassi & his Achievements : He cleared the Union Public Service Commission examination at the age of 21 and was appointed as an Assistant Superintendant of Police in Pondicherry in 1980. Sserved in various capacities in Delhi and other parts of the country, including Chandigarh, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh,. Mr. Bassi, who is a Commerce graduate from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, also has a Law degree. Conferred the Presidents Police Medal for distinguished service and the Police Medal for meritorious service. Centre to launch Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation Programme July 22nd, 2013 With the substantial increase of adolescent anaemia, the Centre decided to launch the Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation Programme among the age group of 10 to 19 years. Additional Secretary in the Ministry ofHealth and Family Welfare Anuradha Gupta pointed out that almost 50 % of nutritional deficiency related anaemia is Iron . Cause of Anaemia : It is a result of under-nutrition and reduced dietary intake of iron. The problem is not only among adolescents but also pregnant women, infants and young children. Effects of Anaemia: Anaemia in adolescents results in poor physical
growth, reduced and minimal concentration in daily tasks thereby impacting work capacity and work output. The programme will be implemented across the country covering 13 crore adolescents. The Health Ministry has recommended to the States that IFA tablet is will be provided to adolescents one day in a week, preferably Monday. Marriage law amendment approved by Union Cabinet July 22nd, 2013 Union Cabinet approved the amendments to the marriage law. The Bill is expected to come in the August 2013 Session of Parliament . Objective : To enable a married woman to get a share of her husbands ancestral property as compensation in case of a divorce. As per the bill in case the ancestral property cannot be divided the woman would get adequate compensation by calculating the husbands share. The Group of Ministers (GoM) have been asked to take an idea on whether a judge can exercise the judgement in granting divorce if one of the partners dont move a second joint application for divorce with common consent. The GoM also had discussion over the issue of allowing courts to decide on doing away with the compulsory 6 month waiting period for couples seeking divorce through a joint appeal by common consent. Benefit for Coconut Sector as Tapping Unfermented Sap or Neera from Coconut approved by Kerala Government July 21st, 2013 Tapping unfermented sap or Neera from the coconut was approved by the Government of Kerala all over the state. As a part of the pilot project Neera tapping will take place in each and every district all over Kerala in units of 1500 coconut trees. The federations as well as the companies that are associated to Coconut Development Board will be permitted to produce Neera. Packaging of Neera will be totally free from the
alcoholic content, this will be ensured via technological advances. For the purpose of production of neera, Abkari Laws will also be amended. What is Neera or Pandaneer or Sweet Toddy? Neera (padaneer in Tamil Nadu) also called sweet toddy is the non-alcoholic drink which would benefit coconut sector. Neera is refrigerated, stored and distributed by semigovernment agencies. It contains many nutrients including potash. It is a delicious health drink and a rich source of sugars, minerals and vitamins. Palm sap begins fermenting instantly after collecting, because of natural yeasts in the pores of pot and air (ofttimes spurred by residual yeast left in the collecting container). In two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, gently intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be left to ferment longer, up to a day, to produce a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some individuals favour. Longer fermentation yields vinegar instead of stronger wine. Department of Food & Public Distribution Launches Electronic fund transfer July 22nd, 2013 Department of Food & Public Distribution launched the Electronic Transfer of Funds. Objective: To ensure quick and direct transfer of funds to the beneficiaries. This protected mode of making the payments on-line, would be time saving and eliminate physical cheques and their manual processing. This in turn would help in bringing more efficiency in the financial working of the department. The Department of Food and Public Distribution has a key role in terms of the payment of subsidies mainly for Food and Sugar covering a significant amount of Budget outflow. Implementation & features of the Electronic Fund Transfer System: The Department of Food & Public Distribution and RBI have implemented the electronic payment system of the computerized accounting in joint venture with the National Informatics Centre.
The STQC Directorate of IT department has certified the electronic payment system as fully secured. This system will serve as the middleware between the COMPACT (the accounting application) for processing of bill and CoreBanking Solutions (CBS) for the bank as well as the RBI. Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) Government to Provide Pre-natal Health Care Facilities to Pregnant Women July 22nd, 2013 Under the Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) scheme, the government would provide free prenatal health care and ambulance facilities to pregnant women across the country. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) A safe motherhood intervention under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Objective: Decrease the neo-natal and maternal deaths happening in the country by promoting institutional delivery of babies. 100% centrally sponsored scheme Integrates cash assistance with delivery and post-delivery care. Key Points under the scheme: The Pregnant women will be given free medical and ambulance facilities from conception to delivery and post natal care. Free treatment and transport facility would be provided during the entire pregnancy period. And the baby born would be given free treatment for 1 year. The women will also be able to avail free consultation from doctors at government hospitals for 45 days from delivery and infants will be given free treatment at the hospitals for one year. The adolescent children will be provided weekly supplements of Iron and Folic Acid to prevent anaemic diseases in the children. Supreme Court refuses to reduce juvenile age from 18 to 16 years July 22nd, 2013 A bench lead by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir dismissed a batch of PILs which were filed in the apex court demanding that the Act should be amended and a minor involved in atrocious crimes should not be
protected under the law. These pleas in the apex court were opposed by various child activists, including former Chairman of Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) Amod Kanth. As per Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, person is treated as a minor till he attains the age of 18 years. The petition had opposed that sections 2(k), 10 and 17 of the Act which deal with the issue were illogical in context of the Constitution. The petitions had also submitted that the Act needs amendment as it does not talk about the physical or mental maturity of a juvenile. In one of the other petition it was mentioned that appointment of a criminal psychologist to resolve through clinical and medical examination if the juvenile accused in a case would be a threat to the society. After 7 years of ban dance bars in Maharashtra all set to run July 22nd, 2013 Supreme Court stayed with the Bombay High Courts verdict to repress the State Governments order to close the dance bars, 7 years after they were banned dance bars can again run in Maharashtra. In 2005 the Maharashtra Government brought in an amendment in the Bombay Police Act which was challenged in the High Court by an association representing restaurants and bars. The High Court in 2006 had repressed the Governments decision. The State Government had moved to the apex court against the High Courts order the same year. The Supreme Court while accepting the Governments plea had stayed with the High Courts verdict. As per the Government there were only 345 licensed dance bars and about 2,500 unlicensed bars were doing business in the State. As many as 72% of the bar girls being married and 68% being the sole bread earners of their family, the State Governments order had rendered them jobless and thus High Court struck down it as illogical and unconstitutional. Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, States on disaster management
July 24th, 2013 After the devastating tragedy that struck upon Uttarakhand and which resulted in numerous deaths the Supreme Court issued notice to Uttarakhand and six other states for their alleged failure in implementing the Disaster Management Act in order to handle natural calamities. The court has sought response from the Centre, the states and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands on a PIL alleging that governments have failed to implement the Disaster Management Act that was passed in 2005. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal andGujarat are the six other states who have received this notice. The court held that it was extremely pathetic that even after 8 years of the act, the Centre and the various state governments had failed to implement its provisions and presently there is no uniform policy in the country for granting compensation to the victims of disaster. Worlds first ever mission to Moons South Pole Planned for 2016 July 24th, 2013 The International Lunar Observatory Association and Moon Expressannounced first mission to the south pole of the moon in 2016 at NASA Lunar Science Institute conference at NASA s Ames Research Center. Objective of the Mission: It will be a scientific as well as commercial mission. To install a permanent telescope on the lunar surface to assist professional research. To deliver the International Lunar Observatory (ILO) aboard a Moon Express Robotic Lander. Moon Express is aiming to discover the moons South Polefor mineral resources and water. Lunar probes have provided substantial indication of mineral and volatile deposits in the Moons southern polar region where energy and resources may be plentiful. International Lunar Observatory Instrument and its use:
ILOA and Space Age Publishing Company have been founded by Steve Durst. ILO which is a 2 meter dish antenna will help in carrying outInternational astrophysical observations and communications from the lunar surface thus providing commercial broadcasting, scientific research and enabling Galaxy 21st Century education and citizen science on the Moon. ILO will display the scientific study of the galaxy, moon, earth, sun and stars The ILO and its originator will have an internet based access and control system. Space Age Publishing Company It aims to broadcast its Lunar Enterprise Daily and Space Calendar weekly via the ILO. This mission would help in humanitys growth as a multi-world species. Moon Express will send a sequence of robotic missions to the Moon in support of commerce science and exploration starting in 2015. July 22: World observes Pi Approximation Day July 22nd, 2013 Pi Approximation Day was celebrated worldwide on July 22 (as the date is written 22/7). As we know that the value of Pi is 22/7 and it is said to be the common approximation of Pi (). Background: The Pi Day started in the year 1988 when Larry Shaw, a physicist at the Exploratorium, the San Francisco science museum disclosed that the date was March 14 (as the day is 3/14 which represents the value 3.14). Pi Approximation Day is quite closely related to the Pi Day which iscelebrated on March 14 every year (representing the value 3.14) Pi Approximation Day is celebrated in order to mark the Pi or approximation of EMBED Equation 22/7. Supreme Court: No acid sale without ID July 22nd, 2013 The Supreme Court gave an interim direction and has totally banned the counter sale of the chemical taking into the account acid attacks. AStandard Operating Procedure (SOP) should
also be laid down for management and handling of acids. Objective: To prevent acid attacks. As per the directions of Supreme Court: A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should also be laid down for management and handling of acids. The seller needs to maintain a log/register recording the address and other details of the buyer. All dealers should sell the chemical only after the buyer shows a government issued photo identity card and specifies the purpose of purchase. The seller should submit the details of sale to the local police within three days of the transaction and no acid should be sold to any person under the age of 18 years. All the stocks must be confirmed with the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in 15 days. If the stocks are not declared with the SDM then all the stocks could be confiscated and the defaulter will be fined up to Rs.50, 000. The proper rules and guidelines are yet to be framed by States and Union Territories. Raise compensation to acid attack victims to Rs. 3 lakhs The Supreme Court has directed all States to pay acid attack victims Rs. 3 lakh towards medical treatment and after-care rehabilitation Rs. 1 lakh within 15 days of an incident and the balance within two months thereafter. 12 FDI hike in 13 sectors, 100% in telecom as per Government July 24th, 2013 FDI in multi-brand retail sector is allowed after the agreement from theForeign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). With the growing demands from the overseas retails the government decided to liberalise Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limits in 13 sectors including telecom, insurance, retail and defence. The government also cleared the much awaited 100 % FDI in the telecom sector from the existing
74%. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma stated that the foreign direct investment limit in insurance sector will be increased to 49% from the existing 26%. In multibrand retail, up to 49% overseas investment would now be allowed through automatic route. There is no decision yet taken on Foreign Direct Investment in media. Key points in FDI stated by Anand Sharma Petroleum and Natural Gas the sectoral cap remains unchanged at 49% Power exchanges route changed to automatic; cap remains same as 49% In insurance sector FDI cap will be 49% through automatic route Asset reconstruction companies: FDI cap upto 49% through automatic route. From 49% to 100 % it will be through FIPB route In tea sector, condition of divestment to Indian partners deleted In single brand retail, FDI upto 49% it will be under automatic route; beyond 49% it will be through FIPB route No change of route in civil aviation sector for now In defence sector, 26% through FIPB route stays; for state-of-art technologies, FDI beyond this to be approved through CCS. China lifts control on Bank lending rates July 24th, 2013 In a move toward creating a market oriented financial system to support economic growth, the Peoples Bank of China and its Central Bankpromulgated to lift the controls on bank lending rates. Background for why China lifted the control on Bank lending rates: Beijing has long used its banks to subsidize state industry with lowinterest loans. Depositors who put their money were paid low rates on deposits in recent years. Families failed to keep up with inflation and lost money by leaving it in the bank. The household spending was suppressed which is among the lowest in the world as a percentage of
the economy and efforts were made for domestic sustenance rather than Chinas growth from exports and investment to more self-sustained domestic consumption. Chinese families looking for a better return on their savings invested into stocks and real estate. They have also shifted money into wealth management products which are indeed too risky for household investors. How Chinas lifting of control on bank lending rates will affect its economy? A change in the Chinas interest rate policy will be one of the major changes required to keep its growth strong. Allowing banks to negotiate their own rates with borrowers could bring in more credit to private enterprise. Until now, banks were lending generally to state industry instead of entrepreneurs who create Chinas new jobs and wealth so this can bring a change. This will be a noteworthy development for Chinas financial sector in the direction of having interest rates determined by market forces rather than government. This reform is to further develop the basic role of market allocation of resources to promote financial support for the development of the real economy. It will allow banks to charge lower rates to more valuable borrowers, cutting down costs for healthy businesses and strong growth. Till now the lower limit on lending rates was set at 0.7 times the state-set interest rate. Private sector borrowers may get more access to credit by paying more and this could help to reduce their dependence on a vast, unregulated credit market. Uttar Pradesh Plan for 2013-14 finalized by Planning Commission July 24th, 2013 The Planning Commission and the Uttar Pradesh govt together finalized Annual Plan for Uttar Pradesh of Rs 69200 crore for the financial year 2013-14. The Funding Process is bifurcated in 2 parts: The Plan funding from the Central Government to the State of Uttar Pradesh from all sources is expected to
be over Rs.30000 crore during 2013-14. This includes central assistance to the State Plan of about Rs 11225 crore. An amount of about Rs 18000 crore is likely to flow from the Centre to U.P. through various Centrally Sponsored Schemes. Performance of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) during 11th Five Year Plan: In the financial year 2012-13, growth rate of Uttar Pradesh was better than the national growth. The national average growth was 5%, whereas, average growth rate of Uttar Pradesh was 5.4 % Industry and Service sector achieved the growth rate of 2.8and 7.6 % respectively. Growth rate in agriculture achieved by the state was 2.6 % The social indicators of Uttar Pradesh during the 11th Five Year Plan were positive. The state was successful in establishing the economic activity by focusing on the development of social and physicalinfrastructure. During the 12th Five Year Plan, the state needs to get rid of its dependency on the ground water for irrigation purposes. It needs to improve on the share of industry sector. The latest industrial policy is an initiative to get out of these impediments. Uttar Pradesh 12th Five Year plan focus: Development of economic infrastructure and more than 20% of the outlay would be used for this sector. Time bound implementation of national flagship programs and effective implementation of agriculture policy. Encourage private participation by creating an atmosphere conducive to investment. The infrastructure and industrial policy is being implemented to attract private investment and all district headquarters are being connected by 4 lane roads by the end of the plan while all 500 plus habitations will be connected with all-weather roads in two years. Optimum utilization of limited water resources while planning for five per cent growth in agriculture.
Education & Health should be given priority while working out development strategy Construction of 300 bridges and 100 ROB in the State with the help of PPP mode for these projects so that they could avail the benefits under Viability Gap Funding Scheme. Huawei Technologies working on Fifth Generation (5G) Technology July 24th, 2013 Chinese equipment maker Huawei Technologies is working on the Fifth Generation (5G) which will be probably available for use by 2020. Samsung has also promulgated that it has tested 5G technology and it will be ready for commercial use by 2020. Advantages of 5G Technology : Expansion of connectivity by providing possibilities for billions of connections. Offer people to have a fibre network like they experience on a wireless connection. It can provide speed of 10 GBps, which is 100 times faster than the mobile technology used these days. Two US Jets drops bombs on Great Barrier Reef Marine Park July 25th, 2013 The two AV-8B Harrier jets launched from aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard dropped four unarmed bomb in the World Heritage listed Marine Park off the coast of Queensland state when the training exercise went wrong. The four bombs were dropped in more than 50 meters of water away from coral to diminish possible damage to the reef. Originally, the jets were to drop the ordnances on the Townshend Island bombing range but they cut off the mission as controllers stated that the area was not clear of hazards. The pilots did the emergency jettison as they were low on fuel and could not land with their bomb loaded. About The Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the worlds largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reef sand 900 islands spanned over 2,600 kilometers over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of
Queensland, Australia. Importance of GBR: It has the worlds biggest single structure made by billions of tiny living organisms known as coral polyps. It is a rich ecosystem bearing a great diversity of life. A major part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. The reef ecosystem faces threat from other environmental pressures which include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown of thorns starfish. It is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region generating over $3 billion annually and is a significant part of local groups cultures and spirituality. It was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. India emerges as the 2nd largest investor in London July 25th, 2013 India has come up as the 2nd largest investor in the city of London with Indian companies led by software major Infosys with the investment eagerness generated by the 2012 Olympic Games in the British capital. Infosys leads the inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) made by a total of 28 Indian companies, which generated 429 additional jobs for the British economy in 2012. Major sectors of growth: India has registered exceptional growth in the common areas of interest, such as transport and city planning. India brought in a large amount of additional 2.5 billion-pound foreign investment into the UK since the Games and Indian FDI projects in 2012-13 are estimated to generate 24 million pounds in gross value added for Londons economy over the next 3 years. Information and communications technology (ICT) was the key sector in terms of Indian FDI into
London, followed by financial services and retail. In the financial services sector Axis Bank stood out for setting up its global operations in London as it has the right mix of potential wholesale and retail business to make it the ideal location for their first international subsidiary. The latest figures were released as part of an overall estimate of the economic impact of the Olympic Games on Londons economy. British government research indicated that the UK economy has seen a 9.9 billion-pound boost in trade and investment from hosting the Games. P Sathasivam is the Chief Justice of India July 25th, 2013 Justice Palanisamy Sathasivam took over the post from Justice Altamas Kabir who served as the Chief Justice of India for over 9 months. Justice Sathasivam was elevated to the Supreme Court in August, 2007 and would renounce office on April 26, 2014. Brief introduction about Justice Sathasivam: Started off as an advocate at Madras. There after he was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Madras High Court in January, 1996. Later transferred to the Punjab andHaryana High Court in April, 2007. Major Judgements by Justice Sathasivam : A bench of Justice Sathasivam and Justice B S Chauhan had upheld the conviction of actor Sanjay Dutt and several others in the Mumbai blasts case. The bench had castigated Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI for training the perpetrators of the 1993 blasts and unable to discharge its obligation under international law to prevent terrorist attacks emanating from its territory. Another Bench led by Justice Sathasivam had set aside the conviction of Pakistani scientist Mohammed Khalil Chisti. Rajat Gupta fined $13.9 million for Insider Trading July 24th, 2013 Rajat Gupta fined $13.9 million for Insider Trading. The former Goldman
Sachs Director Rajat Gupta has been fined a penalty of $13.9 million for one of the biggest insider trading case and has been eternally expelled from acting as an officer or director of a public company for leaking out boardroom secrets. He has been permanently barred from acting as an officer or director of a public company and from associating with any broker, dealer or investment adviser. He is simultaneously appealing for his June, 2012, conviction in which he was given a two-year prison term and fined $5 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained $13.9 million penalty against Mr. Gupta for illegally spilling corporate secrets to his friend and former hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam. The Securities and Exchange Commission earlier obtained a record $92.8 million penalty against Mr. Rajaratnam for prior insider trading charges. The SEC filed a complaint against Mr. Gupta in late 2011 for disclosing confidential information to Mr. Rajaratnam about Berkshire Hathaway Incs $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs as well as non-public details about Goldman Sachs financial results for the second and fourth quarters of 2008. Mr. Gupta was sentenced on October 24, 2012, to a term of imprisonment of two years followed by one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5 million criminal fine. On December 26, 2012, the SEC obtained a final judgement ordering Mr. Rajaratnam to surrender his share of the profits gained and losses avoided as a result of the insider trading based on Mr. Guptas provided secrets and prejudgement interest. Hezbollahs military wing added terrorist list by EU July 25th, 2013 The EU has decided to put the armed wing of Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations. It was made clear that it would maintain contact with all political parties in Lebanon, including the Hezbollah party, which is part of the countrys government.
Why Hezbollah has been added to terrorist list? EU ministers took the decision at a foreign affairs council after a few EU countries with troops in Lebanon or with sizeable communities there felt reassured by the proposed wording, which also includes a review of sanctions against Hezbollahs military wing in six months time. Britain has led the efforts to impose sanctions on Hezbollah, saying it has evidence that the group was involved in the terrorist attack in the coastal Bulgarian city of Burgas a year ago. Information regarding a foiled terrorist attack in Cyprus similar to the one perpetrated in Bulgaria also added to the pressure to blacklist Hezbollah. The governments of the US, Netherlands, France, Gulf Cooperation Council, U.K., Australia, Canada, the European Union and Israel classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. About Hezbolla : It is a Shia Islamic militant group and political party based in Lebanon. The organization has been called a state within a state. It was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and was primarily formed to offer resistance to the Israeli occupation. It receives military training, weapons, and financial support from Iran, and political support from Syria. It has now grown to an organization with seats in the Lebanese government , a radio and a satellite television-station, and programs for social development. Its leaders were followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of 1,500 Iranian Revolutionary Guards that arrived from Iran with permission from the Syrian Government.Its paramilitary wing is regarded as a resistance movement throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds and is considered more powerful than the Lebanese Army. It has taken the side of the government in the Syrian civil war and in May June 2013 successfully assisted in the recapture of the strategic town of Qusayr.
Hezbollahs four main goals: Israels final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration. Ending any imperialist power in Lebanon. Submission of the Phalangists to just rule and bringing them to trial for their crimes Giving the people the chance to choose with full freedom the system of government they want while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam. Archery World Cup: India finished 4th July 25th, 2013 India finishes fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 held in Medellin, Colombia. Deepika Kumaris gold and bronze medal performances on the concluding day helped India finished fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Medellin, Colombia. Key Achievements during the Archery World Cup : Deepika Kumari won gold by beating China and bronze medal in mixed event paired with Atanu Das by beating Mexico. This was Indias first World Cup team gold since Shanghai 2011. India finished fourth with one gold and two bronze. US topped the medal tally with 9 medals (2-5-2), while China (2-1-2) and Colombia (1-1-0) were second and third respectively. Maiden ATP Tour title win for Divij Sharan and Purav Raja July 25th, 2013 Divij Sharan and Purav Raja beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Igor Sijsling of theNetherlands to clinch their maiden ATP Tour doubles title in the final of the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia. Divij, who was ranked No. 5 in junior doubles, has won four Challenger doubles titles and 19 Futures titles. Purav who did not play the junior circuit, has four Challenger and 14 Futures titles. Incheon: The World Book Capital for 2015 July 25th, 2013 International committee of experts representing the book industry and theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) named the city of
Incheonin the Republic of Koreaas the World Book Capital for the year 2015. The committee attributes the title to a city which has devoted itself to promote books and reading and also to highlight the vitality of literary creativity. Ever year UNESCO and the international organizations represent the three major sectors of the book industry: International Publishers Association (IPA) International Booksellers Federation (IBF) International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Why Incheon was chosen? Incheon was chosen on the basis of the quality of its programme and the impact it will have on improving good integration of all stakeholders in the promotion of books. There will be promotion of reading, access to books and writing in all formats to the citizens of Incheon and the Korean Peninsula. The title is an acknowledgement of the best programme dedicated to books and reading and doesnt involve any financial prize. Incheon is the 15th city to be chosen as World Book Capital. Yerevan, Bangkok and Port Harcourt which are the World Book Capital for the year 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. First Textile Park inaugurated at Bagru near Jaipur July 27th, 2013 First Textile Park devoted to hand block printing and craft was inaugurated at Bagru near Jaipur. The textile park would generate new opportunities for exporters and artisans, as the textile sector holds tremendous potential of employment. The park has been named Jaipur Integrated Texcraft Park Pvt. Ltd. (JITPPL) and is also known as is also known as Jaipur Bloc. What is the significance of Bagru ? What is Bagru (Rajasthan) known for? Bagru is famous for its traditional textiles, various styles of hand block printing and related skills. This is the first park in India dedicated to the segment of hand block printing. The textile park is installed with state-oftheart technology to conserve and preserve water.
This park will aid in continuing and encouraging the craft in a cleaner way and act as a role model for craft based industry. The park will generate employment to about 16000 people, directly and indirectly. It is projected that the park in its first year of operation will do a business of more than Rs 100 crore. German Whistleblower Prize to Edward Snowden July 27th, 2013 Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who uncovered the most extensive US global electronic surveillance programmes, has been awarded German Whistleblower Prize for year 2013 worth $3,900 in absentia. The prize jury recognized Snowdens great public service exposing the massive and unsuspecting monitoring and storage of communication data by US and other western intelligence agencies, which cannot be accepted in democratic societies. The jury acknowledged that Snowden took great personal risks in leaking the documents on the operations of the US and other western intelligence agencies, aware of the current criminal prosecution of whistleblowers in security areas. About German Whistleblower Prize: The Whistleblower Prize was instituted in 1999 by the German section of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA) and the Association of German Scientists. It is awarded once in two years to honor persons, who expose in public interest grave social injustices and dangerous developments for individuals and the society, democracy, peace and environment. Curiosity rover confirms Martian air mostly contains CO2 July 25th, 2013 The Curiosity rover sent by NASA which landed on Mars on August 6, 2012 with the aim to explore the Red Planet has confirmed that its air is made mostly of carbon dioxide with hints of other gases. This observation is very close to what the twin Viking Landers in the late 1970s detected from Martian meteorites the rock fragments that fell to Earth. The scientist were stunned
as Viking found nitrogen to be the second most abundant gas in the Martian air but Curiositys measurements discovered a nearly equal abundance of nitrogen and argon which is a stable noble gas. The difference in the observation might be because of the different tools used. Quest to resolve Mars Methane gas mystery Scientists have not been able to solve the puzzle of methane gas on Mars. Several years ago, telescopes on Earth detected a surprising belch of methane in three regions in the Martian western hemisphere. However, the Curiosity team had not reported any definitive smell of methane near the landing site. Since then, the rover has taken several more air samples. To solve this mystery NASA is set to launch a Mars-orbiting spacecraft called Maven. The craft will target the Martian atmosphere to determine if it exists and the abundance and whether that varies by year or location. Aussie Spinner Shane Warne included in ICC Hall of Fame July 25th, 2013 Legendary leg spinner, Australias Shane Warne wasinducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame at Lords, England. Shane Warnes Achievements: He represented Australia in 145 tests between 1992 and 2007. He took 708 test wickets at an average of 25.41. Shane Warne also took 293 wickets in 194 one-day internationals at an average of 25.73 He was in the playing Australian side that beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final at Lords and was named man-of-the-match. Note: Shane Warne is the 69th member to be included in the Hall of Fame and the 18th from Australia Major Port of the Year award goes to Paradip July 28th, 2013 Paradip port has been honored with the Major Port of the Year award in recognition of its excellent performance in 2012-13. In 2012-13, PPT handled a total of 56.55 million tonnes of traffic, up from 54.25
mt in 2011-12. Also, during the year, the port added 22 mt of capacity bringing the total to 102 mt. Where is Paradip Port? Paradip is a major seaport town and a designated notified area in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, India. Paradip Port is one of the Major Ports of India serving the Eastern and Central parts of the country. Its hinterland extends to the States of Odisha, Jharkhand,Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. The Port mainly deals with bulk cargo apart from other clean cargoes. Which are the Major Ports of India? Following are the major Ports in India along with their specialities. Western Coast Eastern Coast Kandla (child of partition) Kolkata-Haldia (riverine port) Mumbai (busiest and biggest) Paradip (exports raw iron to Japan) Jawahar Lal Nehru (fastest growing) Vishakjapatnam (deepest port) Marmugao (naval base also) Chennai (oldest and artifical) Mangalore (exports Kudremukh iron-ore) Ennore (most modern-in private hands) Cochin (natural Harbour) Tuticorin (southernmost ) Poverty in India decreases to 21.9% in 2011-12: Planning Commission July 28th, 2013 As per Planning Commission, poverty ratio in the country has dropped to 21.9% in 2011-12 from 37.2% in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption. Planning Commission on Poverty: Using the Tendulkar methodology for determining the poverty line, the national poverty line in rural areas has been estimated at Rs 816 per capita per month in villages and Rs 1,000 per capita per month in urban areas in 2011-12. It implies that persons whose consumption of goods and services exceed Rs 33.33 in cities and Rs 27.20 per capita per day in villages are not poor. For a family of five, the all India poverty line in terms of consumption expenditure would amount of Rs 4,080 per month in rural areas and Rs 5,000 per month in urban areas. The poverty line however will vary from state to state. In 2011-12, the percentage of BPL (Below Poverty Line) people is
estimated at 25.7% in rural areas, 13.7% in urban areas and 21.9% for the country as a whole. It shows an improvement in poverty figures if compared to those in 2004-05 when it was 41.8% in rural areas, 25.7% in cities and 37.2% in the country as a whole. In terms of numbers, there were 26.93 crore people below poverty line in 2011-12 as compared to 40.71 crore in 2004-05. How the estimates of poverty level in India have been made? This ratio for 2011-12 is based on the methodology suggested by Suresh Tendulkar Committee which takes into consideration the money spent on health and education besides calorie intake to fix a poverty line. As per the Commission, the decrease in poverty is mainly on account of rising real per capita consumption figures which made the 68th round of National Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure in India in 2011-12 the basis for tabulating poverty. Note: A separate committee under Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) chairman C. Rangarajan will revisit the Tendulkar Committee methodology for estimating poverty. The Committee is expected to submit its report by mid 2014. India, Saudi Arabia decided to establish Saudi-Indian Business Network July 27th, 2013 India and Saudi Arabia have decided to create a Saudi-India Business Network (SIBN) separately in Riyadh and Dammam. What will be the focus of SIBN? SIBN would catalyze the promotion of India-Saudi bilateral commerce and trade relations, investment, Business-to-Business interactions and exchanges. The proposed network would comprise of both Indian and Saudi businessmen, entrepreneurs, industrialists and members of business Chambers. Membership of SIBN would be open to all Indian and Saudi businessmen and entrepreneurs. Salient facts about India-Saudi Arabia Trade: Saudi Arabia is the 4th largest trade partner of India. Bilateral trade stood at 43.19 billion dollars in 2012-13.
India imports 17% of its crude oil needs from the Kingdom which makes it largest supplier of petroleum. It is also one of the major markets for Indian exports and the destination for more than 1.86% of Indias global exports. India is the 5th largest export market for Saudi Arabia, accounting for 7.55% of its global exports. Both the nations have an established framework of cooperation which includes Joint Commission Meetings (JCM), India-Saudi Business Council. Several companies from both countries are collaborating in the spheres of designing, consultancy, financial services and software development. Saudi Arabia is also emerging as a big investor in India. Educomp ties up with HCL Infosystems for its Life Cycle Services July 27th, 2013 HCL Infosystems Ltd and Educomp Solutions Ltd. have signed an agreement. As per the agreement, HCL Infosystems will provide life cycle services for existing and new Educomp classrooms across India. Life Cycle services include providing break-fix support and field repair services along with managing new installations in the Educomp Classrooms. About Educomp Solutions Ltd: Educomp is one the leading providers of technology enabled educationsolutions and services for K-12 (from Kindergarten to to Class 12) institutions. The company was set up in 1994 by Mr. Shantanu Prakash and was initially engaged in setting up and maintaining of computer labs in private schools and in government schools on contract basis. EducompSmartclass has reached to around 15,000 schools and 7 million students. HCL Learning will continue to focus on growing its business of providing IT solutions and content to the Indian Education segment. Currently, HCL Learning has over 12000 classrooms, 60 career development centres and offers content as well as innovative products such as DigiSchool and Xcelerate. Indian woman scientist Sunetra Guptas portrait to be displayed in UK
July 28th, 2013 Kolkata (India) born chemist and physicist Sunetra Guptahas joined leading female scientists like Marie Curie at the art exhibition at the prestigious Royal Society. The exhibition titled Does it Make a Difference? displays drawings made by few great artists to celebrate the leading women in the field of science. About Sunetra Gupta: Born in 1965 in Kolkata, completed her education from University of London, Princeton University. She is now a professor at Oxford University. Her major area of work is the evolution of diversity in pathogens with a major focus on the infectious disease agents that are responsible for malaria, influenza and bacterial meningitis. The writer scientist has a simultaneous career as a novelist as well and has written five highly praised novels. In 1970s and 80s and wrote her first works of fiction in Bengali. She was highly praised for her works such as Moonlight into Marzipan, The Glassblowers Breath and So Good in Black. She won the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award for her scientific achievements. INSAT-3D and Alphasat satellites launched successfully July 28th, 2013 European space consortium Arianespaces Ariane 5 rocket launched INSAT3D and Alphasat satellites from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana, giving a boost to weather forecasting and disaster warning services. About INSAT-3D: Designed to provide meteorological observation and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces. INSAT-3D also carried the newly developed 19 Channel Sounder, the first such payload to be flown on an ISRO satellite mission. It will perform weather monitoring through its atmospheric sounding system, which provides vertical profiles of temperature, humidity and integrated ozone from surface to top of the atmosphere.
It will provide continuity to earlier missions and further augment the capability to provide various meteorological as well as search and rescue services. The Data Relay Transponder (DRT) will be used to receive meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from remote, uninhabited locations over the coverage area from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) like automatic weather station, automatic rain gauge and agro met stations. It is equipped with a Search and Rescue payload that picks up and relays the alert signals originating from the distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land based users to the Indian Mission Control Centre located at Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network here. Who will be the major users of Satellite Aided Search and Rescue service in India? The major users of Satellite Aided Search and Rescue service inIndia are Indian Coast Guard, Airports Authority of India, directorate general of shipping, defence services and fishermen. What will be the expanse of service region of INSAT-3D? The Indian service region includes a large part of the Indian Ocean region covering India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,Maldives, Nepal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania for rendering distress alert services. What are Alphasat satellites? Alphasat is Europes largest telecommunication satellite-ever manufactured and results from a large-scale public-private partnership between the European Space Agency and Inmarsat. Campaign Clean India adopts Taj Mahal July 28th, 2013 The World Heritage Site, Taj Mahal has been adopted by ONGC as part of its corporate social responsibilities through the Campaign CleanIndia being run under Ministry of Tourism. Taj Mahal a world heritage site and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is the Crown Jewel among the tourist destinations in India and naturally is a priority destination under
the Campaign Clean India programme. Background of Campaign Clean India: At the initiative of Ministry of Tourism, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has agreed to the initiative for permitting ONGC for adopting six monuments under Campaign Clean India. The six monuments/tourist destinations are: Taj Mahal at Agra, Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, Red Fort in Delhi, Golkonda Fort Hyderabad and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. ONGC is adopting these monuments as part of their corporate social responsibilities and it is the endeavor of Ministry of Tourism that Campaign Clean India is carried out for maximum number of monuments/tourist destinations so that tourists instill the feelings and spirit of cleanliness and respect for such monuments. What is Campaign Clean India? The Campaign Clean India is a programme being run by the Ministry of Tourism aimed at undertaking both sensitization and action at field level on bringing our tourism destinations and their surroundings to an acceptable level of cleanliness and hygiene. The Campaign will ensure that these levels are sustained through ownership and involvement of private and public sector stakeholders. The campaign will be part of Governments strategy of the 12th five year plan for improving the quality of services and environs in and around tourist destinations across India. Free Trade LPG (FTL) scheme gets Govts nod July 28th, 2013 The Government has approved Free Trade LPG (FTL) Scheme for selling 5 kg LPG cylinders through Company Owned Retail Outlets (COCO)PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). The scheme will be launched on pilot basis in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore for selling 5 kg LPG cylinders with/without Domestic Pressure Regulator (DPR) at COCO retail outlets. The OMCs have COCO retail outlets which are accessible to all and are open for longer hours.
Why the government wants to introduce Free Trade LPG scheme? What is Free Trade LPG (FTL)? The government sensed that a new category of consumers have emerged especially in big cities who are mobile and thus do not want a permanent LPG connection but still require LPG for their needs. Such customers need flexibility for availing the LPG cylinders as per their convenience and their needs can also be fulfilled by smaller quantities of LPG. The LPG sold under the scheme will be called Free Trade LPG (FTL). At the time of first sale cost of equipment (DPR plus cylinder), cost of product at prevailing Non- domestic 5kg cylinders price and administrative charges will be payable. At the time of subsequent refill only the cost of product will be payable. The scheme is a step towards beginning of free trade of LPG and would make LPG available for wider use especially for those citizens who are always on the move due to their professional needs. What are the conditions for availing the facility of Free Trade LPG (FTL) Scheme? The prospective customer at the time of first sale would only be required to give a copy of Voter I-Card, Driving license, Pan Card, Aadhaar Card, Bank Pass book, Employees ID, Passport, Student ID or any other such document that can act as a proof of identity. It would be customers responsibility to use the equipment as per the safety instructions. The company would not be responsible for any losses/damages arising in case of accident during transit or usage. OMCs will offer, on request, an insurance policy which will provide cover for loss of life and property in the event of an LPG accident occurring at the customers premises. In transit insurance cover will not be available. On the request of the customer, the COCO RO through the supplying distributor shall also provide the installation of equipment at customers premises and will also provide after sales services on chargeable basis.
Research proves that: Dolphins can call each other by names July 30th, 2013 Researchers at Scotlands University of St Andrews have shown that marine mammals develop a unique whistle that they use to identify them and show their location to others. Scientists have found that dolphins call each other by distinctive whistles as humans use names. Every dolphin only responds to the unique whistle related to each of the dolphins. How did the researchers prove that Dolphins can call each other by names? The researchers followed pods of dolphins and recorded individual whistles and played them back. They found the animals would react to their distinctive whistles. With speakers installed underwater they played back either the whistle of a dolphin from the pod, or one from an unfamiliar animal. The results showed that dolphins did not react to the unfamiliar sounds, but individual members responded when they heard their own sound or name and responded by sending that same whistle back. RealVNC is the winner of MacRobert Award July 30th, 2013 RealVNC was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for outstanding innovation, commercial success and contribution to society. About MacRobert Award: The MacRobert Award is the UKs longest running and most prestigious national prize for engineering innovation. About RealVNC: RealVNC is the most widely ported software application which is remote access software. RealVNCs technology allows a computer scr een to be remotely accessed and controlled from another device. It is officially part of the internet including web and email protocols. RealVNC collaborates with leading players in the technology industry, including Intel to integrate VNC on chips for PCs and laptops; and Google, who license VNC technology and expertise to enable remote
access functionality from its Chrome products. It is also recognized as the standard for integrating smartphones with invehicle infotainment systems. George Alexander Louis- Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to baby boy July 28th, 2013 Britain has a new future king after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy. Britains Prince William and his wife Kate have named their son as George Alexander Louis. He will be known as Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Britain is likely to be ruled by kings for 80 years or more when the Prince of Wales succeeds the Queen. Prince Philippe is Belgiums 7th King July 28th, 2013 Belgiums King Albert after a 20-year reign stepped down the throne which has been overtaken by his son Philippe who took the oath before parliament to become Belgiums seventh king at the royal palace in the presence of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo who holds the political power in the 183-year old parliamentary India, Nigeria ink Solar Power Plant Agreement July 30th, 2013 India and Nigeria inked a Solar Power plant pact to locate sites for solar power plants in Niger state. This would provide additional energy for the African countrys national grid. With this agreement Bharat Heavy Electricals will begin first round of studies of siting independent solar powered plants in selected locations in Niger. India expressed its interest in the provision of funds in various forms for the development of Nigerias power sector. India, Belarus sign a deal to enhance trade ties July 30th, 2013 India and Belarus signed a deal to enhance the trade ties during the sixth session of the InterGovernmental Commission.
Sectors to be focused in deal between India and Belarus: The major focus will be on the following sectors i.e. Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. Also sectors like pharmaceutical, fertilizers, information technology and research and development will offer tremendous potential for cooperation between India and Belarus. India is looking for long term contracts for supply of potash to meet its growing requirements as far as fertilizer sector is concerned and Indian companies can look for setting up joint ventures in Belarus for production of potash based fertilizers. MoU will also be signed between the Ministry of Textiles, India and the Belarusian State Concern for Manufacturing and Marketing of Light Industry Goods in the Field of Textiles, Clothing and Fashion Industries. RBI decreases realization period for exporters from 12 to 9 months July 30th, 2013 Responding further to the increasing pressure on Current Account Deficit (CAD) due reduced exports and depreciation of rupee against dollar, the Reserve Bank of India has brought down the period of realization and repatriation for exporters of goods and software from 12 to 9 months with a view to increase foreign exchangeinflows . The period of realization and repatriation to India of the full export value of goods or software exported by a unit situated in a S pecial Economic Zone (SEZ) as well as exports made to warehouses established outside India remains unaltered. Indias exports reduced by 4.6% for the 2nd consecutive month to USD 23.79 billion in June 2013 compared to year ago interval. The rupee has depreciated by over 12% against the dollar since the beginning of the fiscal. Central bank and capital markets regulator SEBI had to take unconventional measures to control the market. Record Pulses produced by India in 2012-13
July 30th, 2013 The country has achieved a record pulses production of 18.45 million tonnes (MT) in the 2012-13 crop year(June) compared with 18 MT in the third estimates released in May 2013, while food grain output declined by 1.5% to 255.36 MT due to drought in some states in 2012. Pulses output has been revised upward to record 18.45 MT in 2012-13 as compared with the 2011-12 output which stood at 17.09 MT. How would record pulses production will affect? Higher supply will reduce imports and also prices. Higher support price prompted farmers to grow pulses and so the output has been good this time. Various food grains Input/ Output: India has produced 255.36 MT of food grains during the 2012-13. The food grains output is same as it was in the 3rd estimate, but it is lower than the record 259.29 MT achieved in the 2011-12 crop year (July-June). Rice production has been revised upward to 104.4 MT from 104.22 MT in the third estimates but the rice output is lower at 105.3 MT compared with 2011-12. Coarse cereals production estimates has also been revised upward at 40.06 MT in 2012-13 from 39.52 MT in the third estimate, but it is still lower than 42.01 MT in 2012. Wheat output has been revised downward to 92.46 MT from 93.62 MT in the third estimate. Production stood at record 94.88 MT in 2011-12. Future prospects: The production is expected to bounce back this year as the country is presently receiving good monsoon and sowing area has exceeded last years level so far. Ford becomes the first automaker to join India Greenhouse Gas Reporting (GHG) Program July 30th, 2013 Detroit giant Ford has became the first automaker to join a voluntary greenhouse gas reporting program (a carbon reporting programme) newly established in India. The company already participates in similar
programs in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Voluntary reporting provides overall transparency regarding the companys CO2 emissions and the company hold importance to reduce CO2 emissions at its global facilities, including two in Chennai, by 30% per vehicle by 2025. Fords role in this programme will be to assist in the establishment of credible and verifiable greenhouse gas inventories. What is India Greenhouse Gas Program (India GHG Program) : It is the joint effort between the World Resources Institute(WRI), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). A voluntary initiative to standardize measurement and management of GHG emissions in India. Program Partners for India Greenhouse Gas Program (India GHG Program) 1. CII Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 2. TERI The Energy and Resources Institute 3. WRI World Resources Institute Founding Members for India Greenhouse Gas Program (India GHG Program) 1. Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. 2. Hindustan Construction Co. Limited (HCC Limited) 3. ACC Cement 4. Ford Motor Company (Ford India) 5. Jet Airways (India) Limited 6. Mahindra Sanyo Steel 7. Tata Teleservices Limited 8. Bayer Group of Companies India 9. Akzo Nobel 10. Shree Cements 11. United Technologies 12. Tata Chemicals 13. National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) Limited 14. Infosys Technologies 15. Ambuja Cement 16. ITC Limited 17. Cummins India 18. Yes Bank 19. National Peroxide Limited 20. Forbes Marshall
21. JK Tyres 22. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) 23. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) Key Objectives of India Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programme : To help companies in the country monitor their progress towards voluntary reduction goals consistently and credibly. Aimed at promoting profitable, sustainable, and competitivebusiness. Under this programme, companies will be provided with tools and technical assistance to build inventories, identify reduction opportunities, establish annual and long-term reduction goals, and track their progress based on the most widely used emissions accounting and reporting standard in the world, the GHG (Green House Gases) Protocol. The India GHG Program will also facilitate engagement of the business sector with policy makers, supporting progress and advancement towards national goals on carbon intensity and GHG emissions mitigation. The program will build a pool of trained and certified GHG practitioners and GHG measurement and management professionals. What is : The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol)? The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is a global collaboration led by WBCSD and WRI. It is the most widely used international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. GHG Protocol provides the foundation for sustainable climate strategies and more efficient, resilient and profitable organizations. GHG Protocol standards are the most widely used accounting tools to measure, manage and report on greenhouse gas emissions. It serves as the foundation for nearly every GHG standard and program in the world from the International Standards Organization to The Climate Registry as well as hundreds of GHG inventories prepared by individual companies.
Offers developing countries an internationally accepted management tool to help their businesses to compete in the global marketplace and their governments to make informed decisions about climate change. Who Uses The GHG Protocol? Since the publication of the first edition of The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Corporate Standard) in 2001, more than 1,000 businesses and organizations worldwide have developed their GHG inventories using the GHG Protocol. o Some of the worlds largest companies are using the GHG Protocols Corporate Standard. o The 2007 Corporate Climate Communications Report of the Fortune 500 companies by corporateregister.com reported 63 percent of companies use the GHG Protocol. o GHG Protocol is considered the second most important climate program after Kyoto Protocol in the successful measurement and management of climate change. Suresh Chandra Mohanty The new president of Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) July 30th, 2013 Suresh Chandra Mohanty will succeed Rakesh Singh to become the new President of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year 2013-14. Mr. A. S. Durga Prasad has been elected as the vice president of ICAI. What is Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) ? Established on May, 28, 1959 under the Cost and Works Accountants Act, 1959 enacted by the Parliament to regulate the profession of Cost and Management Accountancy in India. It is a professional management accounting institute of India It is governed by a council of 20 members of whom 15 persons are elected from among the members of the Institute and 5 persons are nominated by the Government of India.
It is a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), The Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA) and The South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). Kumar Mangalam Birla steps down from RBI Board July 30th, 2013 Kumar Mangalam Birla who was nominated as a member of the directors of the Central Board of the RBI in 2006 stepped down from RBI Board. Why did K.M.Birla stepped down from the RBI Board? To avoid any conflict of interest as few weeks back his group firm applied for a bank license. Among the 26 entities his group firm Aditya Birla Nuvo is one of the entities which have applied for a bank license. The RBI is expected to grant new licenses by March 2014 as the last date for applying for a bank license expired on July 1, 2013. Froome wins the 100th Tour de France title July 30th, 2013 Britains Christopher Froome who belongs to Team Sky (28) has clinched the 100th edition of Tour deFrance title of 2013. Colombian Nairo Quintana of Movistar bagged the second place. Christopher Froome has became the second successive Briton to win the race after teammate and compatriot Bradley Wiggins Froome who made history as Britains first winner in 2012, when Froome finished runner-up. Results of Tour de France: Froome won his first ever yellow jersey with a winning Nairo Quintana, who stood at second position, secured the white jersey for the best young rider and the best climbers polka dot jersey. Slovakian Peter Sagan of Cannondale won the points competitions green jersey for the second successive year. Simons Investigators Awards 2013 to four Indian-Americans July 31st, 2013 Four Indian American Professors Kannan Soundararajan, Rajeev Alur, Salil P
Vadhan and Senthil Todadri are among the 13 mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists who have won2013 Simons Investigators Awards. People Awarded with their field of Study: Physics Victor Galitski from The University of Maryland, Randall Kamien from University of Pennsylvania, Joel Moore from University of California, Berkeley, Dam Thanh Son from the University of Chicago, Senthil Todadri from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Xi Yin from Harvard University. Computer Science Rajeev Alur from University of Pennsylvania, Piotr Indyk from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Salil P. Vadhan from Harvard University Mathematics Ng Bao Chu from the University of Chicago, Maryam Mirzakhanifrom Stanford University and Kannan Soundararajan from Stanford University and Daniel Tataru from University of California, Berkeley Why Simons Investigators Awards are given? Simons Investigators Awards 2013 were announced by the New York-based Simons Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation. The foundation was incorporated in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons. Its aim is to advance the lines of research in mathematics and basic sciences. The Simons Investigators program provides a stable base of support for outstanding scientists, enabling them to undertake long-term study of fundamental questions. About Simons Investigators: Simons Investigators are outstanding theoretical scientists who receive long-term research support from the Simons Foundation. A Simons Investigator is appointed for an initial period of five years with possible renewal for a further five years. An Investigator will receive research support of $100,000 per year, with an additional $10,000 per year provided to th e Investigators department. The Investigators institution will
receive 20% for indirect costs. Biologist Prof. Obaid Siddiqi who revealed Stop Codons passed away July 31st, 2013 The renowned biologist, Prof. Obaid Siddiqi (81) died due to injuries after meeting an accident. He was known for his pioneer work of identifying the process that how taste and smell are detected and coded in Brain. About Prof. Obaid Siddiqui: Born in 1932 in UP, received his education at Aligarh Muslim University. He did his Ph.D. from University of Glasgow, where he worked on microbial genetics with Harbor Pontecorvo. He was the National Research Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in Bangalore. In 1961, Siddiqi and Alan Garen discovered suppressor of nonsense mutations in the gene for alkaline phosphatase. This work led to the elucidation of the stop codons in the genetic code and the mechanism of chain termination during protein synthesis. What are Stop Codons? In the genetic code, a Stop Codon (or Termination Codon) is a nucleotide triplet within messenger RNA that signals a termination of translation. Proteins are based on polypeptides, which are unique sequences of amino acids. Most codons in messenger RNA (from DNA) correspond to the addition of an amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain, which may ultimately become a protein. Stop codons signal the termination of this process by binding release factors, which cause the ribosomal subunits to disassociate, releasing the amino acid chain. In the standard genetic code, there are several stop codons: In RNA: UAG (amber) UAA (ochre) UGA (opal) In DNA: TAG (amber)
TAA (ochre) TGA (opal or umber) Indonesias Corruption Eradication Commission wins Ramon Magsaysay Award July 30th, 2013 Indonesias Corruption Eradication Commission has been conferred with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for its successful campaign against corruption in Indonesia. What is the special achievement of the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia? The Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK as it is generally known in Indonesia, has prosecuted nearly 100 government officials and others since its first investigations in 2003 and has a perfect conviction record. Other Magsaysay Award winners for 2013: Ernesto Domingo: A pioneering doctor from the Philippines Lahpai Seng Raw: Aid worker in Myanmar Habiba Sarabi: Afghanistans only female governor Shakti Samuha: Anti-trafficking organization in Nepal. About Ramon Magsaysay Award: The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation was named after third president of the Philippines and an Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. The Magsaysay awards have been granted annually since 1958 to people and organizations for excellent public service and integrity. WikiLeaks party launched by launches to contest Australia polls July 30th, 2013 Julian Assange (42), an Australian citizen and founder of WikiLeaks has launched his Australian political party WikiLeaks via a video link from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The party was created in part to support Julian Assanges bid for a Senate sea t in Australia in the 2013 election. The Constitution of the WikiLeaks Party lists its objectives which include the protection of human rights and freedoms; transparency of governmental and corporate action, policy and information; recognition of the need for equality between generations; and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander selfdetermination.
Who is Julian Assange? Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland and is a sixthgeneration Australian. Assange is an Australian editor, activist, political talk show host, computer programmer, publisher and a journalist. He is famous as editor-in-chief and founder of Wikileaks. What is WikiLeaks? It is a media website which is an international, self-described, notforprofit organization publishing submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistle-blowers. It made grabbed international attention when it released some of the confidential information of the US linked to Afghanistan war including equipment expenditure and holdings. In 2010 it revealed U.S. State department diplomatic cables. Why Sweden wants to extradite Julian Assange? Sweden alleged Assange of committing molestation of two women during his visit to the country. A European Arrest Warrant and an Interpol red notice was released against him. He is currently hiding in British Embassy. His request to Britain for political asylum was denied. Recently, Ecuadorhas granted political asylum to Assange which has resulted into a stand-off between the two countries. Why Assange wants to contest poll? Assange will be a candidate for a Victorian seat in the Australian governing body in the national elections later this year. The WikiLeaks Party will focus on seven fields among them academics; journalists and human rights activists will be included. Assange aims to field candidates from New South Wales and Western Australia. The partys main agenda is to make sure that the government in power does their job and therebyscrutinizing the governments activity. WikiLeaks Partys major values of transparency, accountability and justice
will help them examine any crucial issues for Australians: tax reform, asylum seekers, climate change policy and other fields. TRPs give way to Television Viewership in Thousands (TVTs) July 31st, 2013 Broadcasters, advertisers, ad agencies and Television Audience Measurement (TAM) Media Research the sole agency which measures viewership, negotiated in terms of Television viewership. Television viewership will now be measured not on the basis of points but on absolute numbers with Television Rating Points (TRPs) giving way to Television Viewership in Thousands (TVTs). Earlier Big television networks planned to move out of the Television Audience Measurement (TAM) system and either unsubscribe or not renewing their subscriptions. After that repetitive negotiations led to a deal between big networks and TAM on providing data on a monthly basis. What are the issues regarding Television Audience Measurement (TAM) rating system? As per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) problems with the TAM system included: A non-transparent methodology Limited sample size Cross-holdings b/w rating agencies and broadcasters and advertising agencies Lack of a credible complaint mechanism. Why these new Viewership Norms as per Television Viewership in Thousands (TVTs)? In order to address the complaints of television networks that stated TRPs measured in relative terms in points do not accurately present the growth in viewership. TVTs will be the sole measuring standard in the public domain. TVT rolling average will be provided every week. This isstatistically more stable data. But for internal evaluation, the percentage of television viewership rating weekly will be provided to advertisers and agencies. All future changes in audience measurement will be made based on inputs by a joint technical committee of the industry body, the Broadcasting Audience Research
Council. About Television Audience Measurement (TAM) : TAM Media Research is one of the two Television Audience Measurement analysis firms of India (the other being aMap). Appointed by the Joint Industry stakeholders of Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) in 1998, the reason for being for TAM is to be the central Industry provider of Media and Consumer Insights to the various stakeholders of the Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Advertisers & Marketers, Media Owners, Media Agencies and the Academia. Besides measuring TV Viewership, since the year 2000, TAM has been monitoring Advertising Expenditure of various Advertisers, Brands and Product Categories across Television Channels, Print & Radio through its division AdEx India. 10 Asian nations take initiative to ban smokeless tobacco products July 31st, 2013 10 South and Southeast Asian countries including India, Nepal,Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka have come forward to ban smokeless tobacco products. Smokeless forms of tobacco including use of areca nuts cause serious health problems. The countries decided to introduce strong legislation for the purpose at the regional meeting of the World Health Organizations Framework Con vention on Tobacco Control. The meeting was organized by Indias health ministry in collaboration with WHO SEAR (South-East Asian Region) who reviewed the implementation of the WHO and major developments related to the treaty in the region and internationally. It reviewed instruments available for implementation of the convention, particularly the guidelines and the reporting system. It also decided to raise awareness of the newly adopted protocol to eliminate illegal trade in tobacco products. Parliament to approve 1974 Indira-Mujib pact July 31st, 2013
The government will bring a constitutional amendment Bill in Parliament during the forthcoming session for implementation of the Indo-Bangla land boundary agreement. Indiaintends to ratify the 1974 Indira-Mujib pact fordemarcation of boundaries and for exchange of 161 adversely held enclaves with a population of about 50,000 people. Both the countries have discussed the modalities for implementation of the extradition treaty signed that will give the way for deportation of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, currently lodged in a Bangladeshi jail. India has also conveyed Bangladesh to ensure the release the remaining six Indians who were abducted by different Indian insurgent groups like NSCN, PLA and NDFB to that country. The six are part of 13 people whom the insurgents had kidnapped and taken to Bangladesh. Urdu Ghazals penned by Veer Savarkar during his Jail Term in Andaman discovered July 31st, 2013 A notebook containing two patriotic Ghazals written by legendary patriot Veer Savarkar has been discovered by a Dadar based institute. The Ghazals in Urdu were written by the freedom fighter during his 11-year imprisonment in the Andaman Cellular Jail. About Veer Savarkar: Born on 28 May, 1883 in village Bhagur, near Nashik,Maharashtra , Vinayak Damodar Savarkar commonly known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. Renowned social reformer, writer, dramatist, poet, historian, political leader and philosopher. Pioneer of the movement for religious reform in Hindu culture by doing away the caste system prevalent within it. He coined the term Hindutva. He was the founder of the student societies that includedAbhinav Bharat Society and the Free India Society. His published work the Indian War of Independence about the Indian rebellion of 1857 was banned by
British authorities.__

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